The Cat and The Lizard
by EddyPM
Summary: A Khajit find herself in need for friends in the hostile land of Skyrim. Her wish is granted when she is saved by a fellow Beast.
1. Caravan

_**My first fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for taking your time and reading through this.**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Skyrim, nor any of the characters present (except for Dila and Siris, as they are created by me)

All rights to Bethesda

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The road back to Riften was usually sunny and dry, but that day the storm wasn`t letting up. The caravan slowly progressed, their leader speaking that they couldn`t be too far from Riften. They had walked all the way from Windhelm, and were not going to be stopped by a little bit of rain.

Dila struggled to push forward. The wind was blowing hard, and the rain made her fiery red fur heavy. By her side, Kharjo was panting heavily. Walking around in heavy steel armor already made him tire earlier than the rest, but with that wind, she was surprised he was still up. Dila fixed her green eyes ahead and she pushed forward. If they could get to Riften, it would have been worthwhile.

The rain had come suddenly: in an instant, the warm sun reminded her of the sands of her homeland. The next second, the caravan was wandering blindly into a sea of grayness.

If only they had houses on any other Hold. If only the guards let them get past the city gates of Riften and buy houses and have real jobs… Instead, the Khajit were forced to migrate from city to city, camp to camp, surviving on what they could hunt or buy. The thought made Dila shudder in anger, even if she didn`t notice it; her body was already shuddering from the cold water anyway.

Her legs were killing her. She would do anything to sleep in a warm bed for once. She just wanted to lay down and, and…

"No." she thought to herself. "You are going to reach Riften, and you are going to survive."

They had been blundering through the storm for about three hours. And it didn`t show signs of letting up.

Until it suddenly, well, let up.

The raining stopped, the clouds spread and Dila noticed it that the sunset behind the storm was beautifull. The warm fingers of the sun touched her fur, and she closed her eyes to muster up some of the heat and dry herself.

- Stop right there. – Someone from shouted, with a distinctive Nord accent hammering every single letter of the three words. She opened her eyes. Three fair haired, blond mercenaries stood in front of her. – Don`t even try reaching for that bow, kitty. – the biggest one said. She raised her arms up. She took a quick glance to the side. She could see the rest of the caravan. The storm had drained them. There was no chance they could fight. Even Kharjo, with all his usual stamina and strength, didn`t seem able to do nothing else than just stare at the bandits with his arms up while panting heavily.

- So, all Khajit, eh? – the middle one said. He chucled to himself and stepped forward. He had a strong breath and he wore iron armor. He drew a long, steel sword from his back. He contemplated it for a while, right before spinning and cutting Kharjo`s head right of his shoulders. As Dro`Marash yelled and kneeled by his side, the mercenary began to laugh.

- All of you are nothing but filthy thieves. Like you! – he shouted, turning toward Dila. He then noticed her bow. – Where did you get that? Stole it?

In truth, no. That Orcish bow was all that was left of her time spent as a… Oh, she wouldn`t let him take advantage of her.

- I took it from the last bandit who tried to steal from us. He looked like you. – she said, slit pupils defiantly aiming at his eyes.

The Nord chuckled and hit her on her face. Her position faltered and she stumbled to the ground.

- You got quite a mouth, don`t you? I will certainly enjoy seeing what else you can do with it. - he said, crouching near her. Then he turned his attention to the other bandits. – Kill the other two. I heard quite a lot of stories about Khajit women in bed.

Dila started to panick. The other two mercenaries nodded in acknowledgement and swiftly thrusted their swords on her two friends`s throats. She screamed, and the leader of the mercenaries put his hand on her throat and started to choke her. She desperately tried to claw her way out of his grasp

- So, you little thief… - the leader sneered. – Shall we get started?

Right then, something shiny entered her field of view.

It was something small, almost the size of her palm.

It spun graciously before entering the bandit`s head and spewing a lot of blood as it came out through the other ear.

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Siris had been walking in the storm for quite a while now. He couldn`t remember how long, though. He remembered leaving Riften when the sun was at it`s zenith. The perfect day, warm and dry. Then the clouds came along and ruined everything.

"Why do I even bothered?" he thought, shielding his eyes from the unrelenting downpour "Why couldn`t I stay in Riften? I just had to go to have this bright idea to go to Windhelm, straight out of the blue. It`s not like I own Black-Briar any favors this time."

His coat flowed behind him, and every gust of wind made Siris afraid he was going to fall down a hill and break his arm… again.

His sword was hitting his left leg continuously. He did need a smaller sword. But it was difficult to part with his Dai-Katana after so many adventures together. Say what you will about the Akvari, but they did know one thing or two about forging a good sword.

The rain was furiously pelting him, and he suddenly felt a certain urge to go back to Riften and punch the face of that fortune-teller who said him his close future was something warm and comfortable until she reached the top of the Throat-of-the-World.

He had already run into two trees when the sky suddenly cleared and the sun shone. Looking up, Siris noticed there were no more clouds in the sky. At least he would be able to walk a few kilometers in the sun before the snow made him complain of his luck again.

He lifted his scaly arms and stretched. His green scales always dried easily in the sun, and his black war paint was so old it had already infiltrated into his skin.

He then heard a scream.

Rushing to a position behind the trees, he saw, on a road bellow him a small Khajit caravan, previously made up of four people. Previously, because by now one of their guards was one head shorter, thanks to a Nord bandit.

He saw the bandit slap a woman Khajit on her cheek and she fell down. Siris reached for the throwing knives on his belt. He approached the position of the thieves and readied one knife with his left hand, while reaching for his sword with his right. He threw the knife as the bandit leader turned to the Khajit on the ground and chocked her.

Perfect throw.

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Dila kicked the Nord`s lifeless body off of her and reached for her bow. The other thieves had been distracted with the bodies of her friends, but were now drawing her weapons and rushing toward her. She drew one arrow and fired it at the biggest bandit`s shoulder. It penetrated his leather armor and made him scream in pain. She readied another and shot it at his knee, hoping to bring him down. However, he dodged it. She was now at the Bandit`s striking arch. He lifted his arm up and started to bring it down.

"This is it, then" Dila thought, closing her eyes "I have lived a full life"

Instead of the pain and darkness of a sword entering her head, she heard the clanking sound of sword crashing with sword. As she opened her eyes, an Argonian held a Dai-Katana over his head with two arms, blocking the Nord`s overhead strike. She blinked in confusion, then proceeded to ready another arrow and fire it at the other thief, hitting him in the neck and killing him.

The Argonian spun gracefully and kicked his assailant in the stomach. As the big bandit flinched backward, he used his momentum to give a one handed strike to the mercenary`s head, cutting it away.

The danger of the Nord`s passed, but not of the unknown Argonian. He stood there, Dai-Katana in one hand, for a few seconds, before turning toward her and giving her a sharp glare. His eyes too were green.

Then he grinned, and offered a hand to Dila, still fallen on the ground.

- It seems that you owe me a drink. – he said, and chuckled at his own joke.


	2. The Bee and The Barb

Chapter 2:

Dila stared at his eyes. He had just killed two men. Did he not have any sort of guilt? His smile indicated that no, he didn`t. She reluctantly grabbed his hand and he pulled her up to her feet.

- Thank you. – Dila said, eyes still fixed on him. – But why did you saved me?

- I don`t know. I was passing by and heard a scream. It seems that my arrival was timely. – he said, in an accent that just barely hinted he was not from the land.

He turned to see the bodies of the other members of the caravan. Dila followed his gaze, and found herself staring at Dro`Marash`s lifeless grey eyes. As she did so, she remembered the times she had had with her. Playing on the dunes of Elsewyr, talking about going to Skyrim, their time in the…

She couldn`t bear to continue. Tears had just began forming on the sides of her face. The Argonian noticed and rushed to her side.

- Hey. Are you okay?

"What a stupid question" Dila thought.

- No.. I… - she sobbed. – I…

The Argonian helped her sit down. She buried her face on her hands…paws… and began to cry.

- Do you want me to go look for help? – he said, worried.

She nodded negatively. All she needed was some time.

As a few minutes passed, her pain began to become bearable. She lifeted her head and looked at the bodies again.

- They wouldn`t me to cry. – she said to herself, drying a tear with her finger.

- You know, Riften is just up the corner. – the Argonian spoke. He was leaning on a tree, having put his sword on it`s scabbard. – Do you want to go there?

- Yes, I`d like that. – she said, lifting herself up. – But first I should bury my friends. They deserved a better ending, though I doubt they will be complaining.

The Argonian nodded, and went of to find the head of the male Khajit guard. He found it lying beside a tree. He picked it up and brought it to an opening in the woods. He then went back to near the road to help moving the bodies.

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About an hour after, they had finished. Luckily, there was a shovel in the goods the caravan was going to sell in Riften. If it had not been there, they would have taken a whole day to dig three holes for the burial. After laying her friends to rest, the Khaji seemed ready to continue onward.

" Good " Siris thought. That way, he could be soon back to the city and see if Black-Briar had any jobs for him.

- So, are you ready to move? – Siris asked.

- I guess. – the woman said, turning around. – Are you coming with me?

- I just went out for a stroll. I have no business outside of Riften. And, besides… - He pointed upwards, to the sky. The red Aurora was beginning to become apparent in the darkening sky. – The roads are dangerous for people who walk alone in the dark.

She didn`t say nothing, and merely strode up the hill, her bow swinging on her back, along with her quiver of steel arrows. He ran up the hill to catch up with her.

- Hey! – he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned and stared at him. He stood for a second, not sure of what to say. She lifted her brow as if to say "What?" – You didn`t even told me your name.

- Why don`t you tell me yours? – she asked him back.

- I`m Siris of Black Marsh. – he answered, over dramatically bowing. – And it is a pleasure to meet you, mistress…

She didn`t answer, and continued to walk down the path of dirt, leaving a very embarrassed Argonian behind her. He sighed and released the bow. He checked his scabbard to see if his sword hadn`t slipped like last time.

"Strange. That show usually makes them at least giggle." He thought to himself. He rubbed his temples "I need some mead", he completed mentally, striding forward to accompany her.

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The "Bee and the Barb" used to a pretty quiet inn. That was, right until that Maramal nutcase started preaching about love and beauty and all that sugary gibberish. Siris had no idea about why Keerava or Talen-Jei let him stay there. Still, it was comfortable enough to him so that he could call it his "home" in the city.

- Siris! – Talen-Jei said, going to meet him at the door when he entered. The Argonian had a darker skin then Siris`s own scales, and his eyes were yellow, but he was harmless enough. – I thought you had left the city.

- Something made me change my mind. – he said, nudging toward the Khajit, who had been distracted by the bard.

- Oh, I see. – Talen said. – So, may I get you your table?

- Please, I would like that. – Siris said, civil as always. – Show it to her, please. I will go to speak to Keerava.

- To Keerava? – Talen gagged, tripping in his words. – Wh..What do you want to…

- Relax, marsh-brother. – Siris said, putting a hand in Talen`s shoulder. – I will only speak to her. I know of your little… sympathy… for her.

- Thank you, Siris. I will show it to her.

As Talen went to one side, Siris went over to the couter to speak to Keerava, the other Argonian who ran the place.

- Hello, Keerava. What do you tell me of knew?

- Not much, Siris. – she said, lifting her eyes of the counter to pay attention to her friend. – The same news I told you about four hours ago, perhaps?

The white scaled Argonian looked toward the woman that had come with him.

- Siris, Siris… - she began, nodding her head with a smile. – I didn`t figure you would be the kind to befriend Khajit…

- Very funny, Keerava. Before you make any more assumptions, I would like two rooms, please.

- Two? Are you sure you don`t want the one with the couple bed?

He pinched her arm and turned around worringly, afraid that the Khajit might have had listened. Luckilly, she was just looking at the fire, mulling on some question on her head. Keerava gigglrd, then gave him the keys of the rooms.

- Upstairs, for the love-birds.

Siris angrily took the keys from the hands of Keerava and walked to the table where the Khajit was sitting. Talen-Jei was still talking to her.

- What are you two discussing? – Siris said, pulling a chair and sitting in front of the woman.

- Nothing special. – the other Argonian, said. – I was just explaining the drinks for her.

- I`ll have a White-Gold Tower. – the Khajit ordered.

- And I`ll have a Velvet Le-Chance.

- This round is on the house, Siris.

As Talen walked to Keerava, Siris turned to talk to the woman.

- So, what has brought you to Riften?

The caravan had business here. We usually forsook Riften in favour of Dawnstar, but we had already struck a good deal here once. We thought about changing for a bit… - she lowered her eyes to the table and chuckled emptily. – Look where it got us.

- Hey, at least you are alive.

- Yeah. I guess that`s something. What about you?

She had lifted her gaze. Siris noticed that her pupils had rounded up. She was calmer now.

I needed to run a few errands for a friend of mine in Riften. Still do – he leaned closer to her and whispered – But don`t let him know. – he pointed to Talen-jei, and the woman giggled. He then reassumed his normal voice tone. - Figured I would stay here for a few days, then hit the road to Whiterun.

- Here you are. – Talen-jei said, bringing two flagons full of liquid, one red, one yellow. He put the red one in front of Siris and the yellow one in front of the Khajit. – Enjoy.

Siris took a gulp of his drink, while the woman merely stared at it.

- Aren`t you going to drink it? – he asked, concerned?

- I really shouldn`t drink it. – she said, carfully watching the golden liquid.

- Come on – Siris, said, downing another gulp of his flagon – What could happen?

- I guess you are right. – she said, picking up the flagon and slowly approaching it to her mouth. She cautiously sipped a lttle.

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She knew she shouldn`t have drinked .

Merely five minutes after drinking that sweet, delightfull beverage, she was already laughing out loud and toasting everyone in sight. She felt her body out of control.

- And a toast to this fine gentleman! – she shouted, hanging in Talon-Jei`s shoulder. – Let`s all toast to him, this gen… gen… what was the word again? – she said, before chuckling and drinking a large quantity of that thing… what was it called? Yellow-Silver Tower?

- Hey, knock it off! – Tale-Jei shouted, while Keerava and Siris were both laughing too hard to do anything. – I got other clients to tend for!

- But there`s no one on the bar! – Keerava shouted, between bouts of laughter.- Even Maramal got tired!

She released the shoulder of the Argonian, and suddenly felt the ground approaching the back of her head.

"Strange." She thought, as best as her foggy mind would permit her "The room wasn`t flipping when we arrived. Or was it?"

She closed her eyes for the impact, but she felt like she fell on something else. Something scaly.

She looked up and saw that Siris had caught her with both his arms . He began saying something to the other Argonians before walking toward the stairs, all the while she was laughing hard.

- You had one too many. – he said, grinning.

- Dila. – she said, lifting her leg up.

- Sorry? – he said, smile fading in his face.

- My name is Dila. – she said, before falling asleep in his arms.

As she felt that he was moving through the satirs, she heard him whisper to himself:

- Nice to meet you, Dila


	3. BlackBriar Business

_**Sorry for the delay. Got messed up in Chemestry beacuse of you guys... But don`t worry, I still love my fans**_

__Reviews are golden

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Chapter 3:

As Siris entered her room, still carrying her in his arms, he thought he had heard her purr.

"I hope that doesn`t mean she is waking up."

He gently laid her in the bed on the corner and tiptoed his way through the door again, closing it behind him.

"She needs some rest. After all she has been through, she deserves it."

- Making new friends, I see. – sounded a voice behind him

Siris jumped and turned around, already lifting his hand to his sword. The woman sitting on a stool behind him contepted herself by laughing to herself. Siris released the handle of his sword when he understood who she was.

"Black-Briar." He thought, lowering his hand. Why did a part of him wanted to reach for the sword and cut her to ribbons?

- Sit down, lizard. – she said, signaling to another stool. Siris would have usually kicked the person who called him "lizard". But you didn`t kick Maven Black-Briar and expect to leave Riften without the Hold Guard in your tail.

Maven Black-Briar. Probably the most influential being in all of Skyrim. She usually passed as a meek, unimportant owner of a small meadery. But when she began listing her spies, assassins and thieves, you`d wish you had never asked her that one favor.

Siris submissively obeyed. Maven took out a note from her pocket and handed it to him.

- I need this delivered to Solitude. Urgently.

- And… - Siris said, taking the letter and inspecting it. – What makes you think I will be delivering it?

- Perhaps the fact that I have half of Skyrim on the palm of my hand, and that you better have enough money to pay a food taster if you run away. Not that he will last long.

Siris turned the letter around. It had Maven`s seal of importance in it: a black wax seal with a black Nightshade flower.

- If that`s what I am juggling with, then I gladly accept. Now, if you`ll excuse me… - he said, standing up and heading for the door. – I have a very busy journey tomorrow.

- And Siris! – she said, prompting him to turn around. She didn`t even raise her eyes from the candle. – Try not to break the seal, this time.

Siris nodded, with that grin that made Maven want to make the Thieves Guild strip him naked of all he had. He entered his room and locked the door, for good measure. The last thing he needed was a visit from that lumbering idiot Maul in the middle of the night.

All done, he took of his coat, his leather armor and threw himself in bed, exhausted. In a few minutes, he was fast asleep.

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Dila woke up the next day feeling as if she had fired an arrow in her own eye. Her head was pounding, she was sweating from every inch of her body and… why was she sleeping in armor?

She tried to remember what the last thing she had done the night before. She could remember feeling happy, about dancing, about towers of silver and…

Of falling into Siris`s arms.

She blushed. What had she drunk?

She needed to wash herself. Her fur wet because of sweat was the last thing she needed. But where to find running water?

As she got out of the bedroom, she noticed Siris`s door was opened and that he wasn`t in the bed. His Dai-Katana and his Coat were still there, though.

She went down. Talen-Jei was cleaning something out of the floor with a mop.

- I hope that that isn`t my doing… - Dila said, half joking and half serious.

- No. – Talen said, stopping and drying the seat of his forehead with his shirt`s sleeves. – Someone else came here after you two left. He had a little bit to much mead, and, you know, what went in, went out.

Dila laughed, even though that did make her head hurt even more. She felt the urge to ask:

- Where is Siris?

- He`s outside. There`s a place in the back with a little natural water. He went to take a bath.

"Oh, that`s what I need." She thought.

- And where is it, may I ask?

- Oh, right through that door. – Talen said, pointing at the door. – And did you sleep well?

- I guess. Can`t remember a thing, though.

- You were clinging on me like an old man grabs his cane. After that, Siris took you upstairs.

- Thank you, and sorry for anything I said. I am really sensitive to drinking.

- Dully noted – he added, earning him another pained chuckle from the Khajit.

- I`ll be going, then.

She walked past him, and exited through the door. She went down a flight of stairs, as fast as her hurting legs would, and opened another door.

She was greeted with a small spring with a small lake and waterfall. She smiled and looked around.

- Looking for me? – came a voice by the cavern`s wall.

She turned around quickly. Siris was there, wearing only pants and drying himself with a small towel. Dila noticed there was a few scars of scars criss-crossing his chest. She quicly glanced away, beaming the waterfall.

- Ha ha ha. – Siris laughed, proceeding to dry his head. – No need to be ashamed. You didn`t see nothing special.

- Thank you for yesterday. – she said, still eyeing the small waterfall. – For carrying me up to my room, I mean.

- No problem. – He said, walking past her and through the door. He suddenly stopped and turned around. – Listen, I`ve got to go to Whiterun. Do you want to come?

- I`d like that, yes.

Then we set off when you are ready.

He closed the door, and Dila was left alone. She took out her black cloak and started to peel the black leather armor away. When she was done, she slowly entered the water. She dove and came out with her crimson hair fully wet. After that, she merely sat on an edge of rock and waited for a few minutes.

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Siris had finished putting on his clothes. He then picked his sword and slung it on his back. He was ready whenever Dila was.

He went down to the bar, to pick something to eat. Keerava greeted him with a smile. She threw him an apple.

- Good morning. – she said, as he sat on the stool by the bar. – You just missed Dila. She went up to pick up her bow and said she would already be here.

- All right then. – he said, before taking a big bite in the apple.

- Tell me, Siris. – Keerava said, leaning on the counter. – How did you two meet?

- Yesterday. – he said, taking another bite. – She was travelling with her caravan. They were stopped by a few bandits down the road. Kiilled the whole caravan. Except her. The leader was going to, you know…

- Oh, I see. Well, you better take care of her.

- Oh, I don`t plan to stick with her long. I`m going to drop her in Whiterun. I have a message from Black-Briar. To be delivered for General Tulius in Solitude.

- Black-Briar, huh? – Keerava said. – Did she tell you to go alone?

- I don`t want Dila messed up in the affairs of that woman.

- What woman? – came a voice behind him. Siris closed his eyes and sighed. Keerava chuckled.

Siris turned around to see Dila standing behind him.

"Damn"

- What have you listened.

- You will not get free of me that easily. – she said, pupils slit.

- A lot, I see. Fine. If you want a part in Maven`s business, I won`t impede you. But don`t say I didn`t try to warn you.

- That`s better. I was afraid I might have had to ask at arrow-point.

Keerava chuckled again.

- Keerava. – Siris said.

- What?

- Zip it.

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They had left the city behind a few hours ago. Siris walked in front and Dila kept her pace behind him.

"Was he really thinking about leaving me?"

They strode alongside the road at a reasonably quick pace, and Dila didn`t even noticed the hours fly by. The thing that reminded her was the sudden rumbling in her stomach.

- You hungry too? – Siris said, turning around. It was about the middle of the day. – We`ll stop by the next inn and have some meat, okay?

- Yes.

About an hour after, they got to a small house on the road. They had been following the river for quite some time now. The inn had no name, and, as they entered, they noticed the bar was full. A nice Bosmer woman came and took them to a table. They ordered some venison.

- Are you able to pay for that? – the woman asked.

- Don`t question me. – Siris said, flipping a dew septims in his hand. – Just bring us the best you have. I`ll worry about the price.

As the Bosmer went away, Dila spoke:

- Do you have the money?

- Black-Briar wouldn`t want one of her best enforcers to starve to death, now, would she?

A few minutes of trying to talk with all the shouting in the place, the woman came back with two steaming plates of soft, lump, oily meat. Siris and Dila both ate furiously, without even talking. As they were about to pay, someone recognized Siris.

- Siris. – someone said, prompting Siris to sigh deeply.

Siris turned around and his eyes widened.

- Torbjorn. – he said, surprised. – What are you doing here?

- Nothing much. – the Nord said, walking over to the table. Dila noticed the inn had become quite silent. – What about you?

- Briar business. – Dila was noticing something strange in Siris`s manner of speaking. He was rigid, fingers opening and closing subtly, and his voice did not have that note of amusement it usually had.

- Oh, I see. So, now, not only did you break my business, but you are also bent on destroying others?

- Look, Torbjorn, with you running things the way you were, things would have gone the way they did pretty soon. All I did was speed things up.

- Yeah? – Torbjorn took out a knife and plunged it at a Siris`s hand, but it was no longer were it was, and the knife plunged into the table. Siris hadn't even looked downwards. – Well, I guess there are plenty of people in this inn that are not satisfied with the way Black Briar runs things.

Dila turned around and saw that the entire bar was looking at them, and silence rulled over them. She saw some going discreetly for their swords. Torbjorn was also accompanied by a few big men. By the color on their skin, they must have been Redguards.

- And they would be very happy with getting her so called "best messanger" out of the way.

- Leave. Now. – Siris said, with his voice filled with what seemed like a calm hate. – I have no more business with you, Shatter-Shield.

- Oh, but I do have business with you…

He let the words linger in the air before continuing…

- Shadowscale…


	4. Shadowscale

Chapter 4:

Dila shook her head. Shadowscale? What was that?

Something bad, it seemed.

Because right when Torbjorn said it, people were already reaching for weapons and jumping on each other for a chance to fight with Siris.

Siris jumped on the table and drew his Dai-Katana with one swift move, at the same time decapitating one thug that was right behind Dila. He started dealing blows left and right, while Dila helped him with distant targets.

Even though Dila had very poor skills in bartering and unarmed combat, two things that were almost vital to her kind, she could fire an arrow like no one else could. One entered a Nord`s throat, another pierced a Redguard`s eye and another lodged itself in an Orc`s forehead, all in a space of three seconds.

Siris, on the other hand, had gone down from the table, and was quickly dealing death to all that stood within the striking range of his sword. He moved like a dancer, every move calculated, every muscle where it was supposed to be. Dila couldn`t help but feel impressed. That gentle Argonian could fight like a Dadric Lord.

Torbjorn came after her, and she dodged an overhead strike while sheathing her bow and grabbing two steel daggers from her belt. She parried another blow and jabbed at his throat. He moved surprisingly fast for a man his size, and was able to quickly move his head out of the way of the small but lethal blade before his throat turned into a rag. He went into frenzy and started slashing wildly. Dila was feeling overwhelmed. Her mind and eyes hadn`t been made for close combat. She tired rapidly…

- Dila, DUCK! – sounded a voice behind her, which she quickly obeyed.

All else happened too fast. A streak of white flashed beside her, a curtain of blood erupted from upward and a scream emerged from silence.

When she lifted her head, Siris was holding his now bloodied sword and Torbjorn was screaming and stumbling back, with a hand on his eye. Blood was running down his head. Siris spun and kicked him square in the chest. He flew and hit a shelf, knocking it`s contents on top of himself.

- Did you kill him? – Dila asked, and Siris took a moment to register the question.

- No. I cut off his right eye and broke two of his ribs. He will probably wake up in a couple of hours. Which… - He said, while cleaning picking up a map with his free hand and reading through it. – Will give us plenty of time to get out of this hold. If we are lucky, we might even be able to reach Whiterun tomorrow.

As he was walking out of the inn, Dila heard a soft cry. Siris didn`t even hesitate: he lifted his sword and stabbed the dying man `s head. The crying stopped. He cleaned his sword and sheathed it. Dila opened her mouth as if to say something, but he stopped her.

- I`ll tell you later. Now come. Unless the lady would like to wait for the big bad Nord who just tried to kill us wake up. – he flicked his wrist. Dila started walking toward the door with him. He grinned. – I knew you were smart.

00000

They had found a spot to set camp. Dila was setting up the tents while Siris was out to catch some food. All the while, he was relieving his past memories.

" - There is no doubt, Siris. You were born under the Shadow. You are to become a Shadowscale.

- But mother…

- I can`t do anything, Siris. – she had stroke her forehead. Siris had seen tears forming down her face. – You are going to be trained by the best. You are going to make Argonia proud.

His father had then entered the house. He had the smell of the alcohol in him. He was smilling stupidly and his stance was bumbling. Siris`s mother helped him sit down.

- Have you been drinking again? - his mother asked

- What if I have? – his father yelled. Seeing him drunk made Siris afraid. – You don`t command what I do with my time!

His mother recoiled from the explosion of anger. His father ordered Siris to come closer, an order which he promptly obeyed. His father then promptly slapped him. Hard.

- Don`t falter. – his dad said. He then slapped him with the other hand. – And pay attention.

- Yes, father… - Siris said, tears begging to roll down his eyes.

- And… - his father continued, hitting him so hard he fell on the floor. – Don`t cry."

"Well, I hope you are happy, dad. " Siris said, eyes coldly fixed ahead. "I didn`t shed a tear for you."

He had gotten so distratceted he had forgotten how long he was taking. Dila should be worrying about him, right now. He was lost in the forest, and had still not caught anything.

As he turned back to go another path, he heard something. The slightest crinkle of a twig snaping. Then he started hearing something brethe.

"Bear."

A big cave bear was eyeing him. Probably figured he would like something scaly for supper. Siris began reaching for his sword, but the bear attacked before he could do anything. Siris tried to step back, but ended up triping and falling flat on the ground. The bear jumped on top of him. Siris punched it`s face as fast as he could, kicking in his stomach at the same time.. The foul stench of rotten meat emanated from the bears opening mandibles. As the bear lunged for his throat, Siris could get his forearm between the bear`s jaws. His arm was now bleeding and, with another slight pressure from the bear`s part made his arm break.

"Am I really going to die by the hands of a bear?"

Siris closed his eyes. He felt the bear releasing his arm, which fell useless by his side. Then he heard the bear rear up for another lunge, and…

A thumping sound?

He opened his eyes again. The bear had his tongue lulling from his mouth side, an eye missing and an arrow on his head.

Siris looked to the side. Dila was standing in a rock, in a position like she had just fired the arrow. Siris pulled the carcass of the bear from over him.

He used his good right arm to get up. As he was panting, Dila said:

- At least now we have something to eat.

00000

Dila was trying to help Siris, but he kept insisting on letting it heal.

- Are you really sure?

- Yes. In a few minutes, I can show you what makes us Argonians different from the Khajit.

- Scales?

- Close. But no.

The rest of the way to the camp was relatively quiet. Siris had wandered quite far into the wilderness, but after fifteen minutes, they arrived at the small camp. Dila had set up two tents. Siris set by the little bonfire and lit it up.

- So, are you going to show me what you were talking about?

- Yes. Sorry, I just can`t do it while we are walking. I need to be calm. – he released his arm. It was bent in an angle painfull to see. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

Dila was amazed by what followed. His arm began bending backwards. His skin began growing back and scales were forming over it. After a few seconds, he moved his now fixed hand. They were as good as new.

- What was that? – Dila asked, awestruck.

- Histskin. We Argonains can call upon the Hist to heal our wounds. That is all I know.

- What is the Hist?

- It is known by many things. – he said, looking at the fire. – But most of us like to refer to it as the "Trees of Argonia".

- Argonia?

- Black Marsh. Anyway, anymore questions?

- Yes actually. – she said, and Siris grinned. She began. – Back in the bar, that Nord you called Torbjorn said you ruined his business. What was that about?

- Shatter-Shield?- he said, looking at her. – He used to run a merchant business on Windhelm.

- I don`t see the problem in tha…

- Using Argonains as slave-labor. – he said, voice cutting as a razor. – Let`s just say I take any offense to my people very seriously. So, I waltzed in, opened a few locks and started a rebellion. Torbjorn lost his business, and I guess he wasn`t all that pleased that an Argonian had broken his business with Argonians.

- Wait. – Dila said, chuckling. – So you just simply walked into Windhelm, kicked a few doors and caused a rebellion?

Siris chuckled and nodded his head, as if he had realized how stupid that must`ve sounded.

- I guess that has something to do with that Shadowscale thing TOrbjorn mentioned. – Dila said, before starting to laugh.

She stopped laughing when she noticed Siris wasn`t laughing. He had his gaze fixed in her, green eyes looking at her like they could see right through her.

- If you don`t mind me asking… – she said, embarrassed. - …What is a Shadowscale?

Siris sighed. It was obvious he didn`t want to talk about that. Dila was ready to change topic when he began.

- Argonians are known for their guerrilla style of fighting. We use quick, brute strength, and then run. We… - he pointed to himself. – The Shadowscales, perfected that technique. We are Argonians born under the sign of the Shadow, and from a young age, we are thought how to kill. Silently. Simply put, we are the best assassins in all of Argonia.

- And you were…

- I was born, yes, under the Shadow. Since I was five years old, I learnt the best ways to kill. That`s what my body is built to do, now. Kill, kill, kill…

Dila was shocked.

"Five years old? That is a lot of experience to be put into a few soldiers!"

- Of course… - he said, calmly. – Now that you know that, I must kill you.

Dila jumped back, unsheathing her daggers. Was he serious? She began to feel afraid. He was a born killer, quite literally, and he would kill her in a few seconds if he stood up…

But he didn`t stood up. He merely threw his head backwards and started laughing out loud.

- Got you! – he said, between bouts of laughter. – You should have seen your face!

She slowly released the position. The she went up to him and hit him in the arm. Then she began laughing too. She then sat beside him. The two just sat by the fire, watching as the flames slowly crept upwards, reaching for the skies.

For Dila, who was accustomed to roaming around with a caravan, it was difficult to just sit down and relax after hunting. She usually had to hunt enough to feed the caravan. And not many times did a bear attack go well. Going around with just another person was a new experience to her.

It was dangerous.

It was scary.

It was lonely.

But she was enjoying the feeling.

00000

Siris knew the way to Whiterun by heart. Not that he needed to, as they had a map of their own, but it helped when he knew of a few shortcuts.

"I guess this troubled mind is not just killing, then." He though to himself, as they wandered through a prairie. They had run into a few thieves in the way, but they had usually bolted when they saw Siris`s sword.

"It`s strange, though. Why did I tell her about the Shadowscales? I just met her." Siris thought, beginning to mull over the idea. He eventually arrived at the conclusion she was the first Beast, aside from Talen-Jei and Keerava, who had been helping him. It usually went the other way around, and Siris didn`t mind it. It was good to have a good friend in this land filled with proud Nords, wanting that all Mer and Beat races simply left the country. And friends, true friends, was one of the things Siris could count on his fingers. And still there would be fingers left.

- Much farther? – he heard Dila ask.

- Not much. – he retorted. – In fact…

They went up a little hill. Siris breathed in the fresh air.

- Not much at all.

Siris could see houses with yellow roofs, surrounded by a stone wall, which he knew was only strong enough to resist a few soldiers. He saw the Jarl`s home, Dragonsreach, sitting on it`s place, proudly elevating itself above all other houses, with it`s tower`s height being extrapolated by the rock in which the manor sat.

Whiterun was on their sights.


	5. Jarl Balgruuf the Greater

Chapter 5:

- Halt! – the guard shouted from the walls. – What is your business in this city?

- I am an old friend of the Jarl! – Siris shouted back. – I have to talk to him!

- And your name is?

- Siris of Black Marsh!

The guard disappeared for a few minutes, and the gate opened. Dila and him entered the city. Dila had never been to Whiterun. Actually, she had never entered any of the hold capitals, except Dawnstar, and only because it had no gates.

Once she stepped inside, she was greeted with the sound of iron meeting hammer, coming from the little shop on the right. A woman was working on a small sword, right before she dripped it in water. A cloud of steam rose up from the basin as Siris rushed her to the marketplace.

She felt the smell of seasoned meat rise from the stands, mixing itself with the smell of vegeteables, freshly plucked from the fields.

"It must be harvest time." She thought, filling her lungs with the new sensation.

- Enjoying yourself, Dila? – She heard Siris say. He was walking up a few stairs, heading for the Jarl`s manor. – Do you want to stay here, or would the damsel accompany me to Dragonsreach?

Dila thought and reflected on the question. She glanced over the stalls, craving for a bite into those plump apples, wanting to buy a circlet that would match her skin…

And then she looked at Siris.

And she decided:

- I`m coming with you.

00000

The Jarl`s Manor was big. It had a large dining table, which was overlooked by the Jarl himself, sitting on his throne. The Jarl was a big man, broad shouldered, with a well kept beard and a golden crown dotted with rubies. He got up from his throne when Siris appeared in the door, and opened his arms when he got close:

- Siris! My old friend. – the Jarl said, giving Siris a long hug, a gesture Siris repayed.

- Balgruuf. It is nice to see you again!

Balgruuf broke the hug. He was smiling. The he sat his eyes on Dila.

- And who, may I ask, is your friend?

- Jarl Balgruuf, this is…

- I am Dila of Elsewyr. – she cut Siris`s phrase. She was tired of having others present her.

Both the Jarl and Siris starde at her. In the Jarl`s eyes, she could see nothing. But in Siris`s, she saw admiration. He grinned and said:

- That is her.

- Any friend of Siris is a friend of mine. – the Jarl said. – So, Siris, what brings you here?

- I am merely passing by. Me and my friend over there are going to Solitude in the morning, and we thought about passing here to see if we could gather supplies. Although I wouldn`t mind sleeping in a bed.

The Jarl laughed and told his steward to get two guest rooms arranged. The man obeyed and went up a flight of stairs. Siris turned and told Dila:

- Dila, why don`t you go and visit the city? It is your first time in here, right?

- Yes. Actually, it`s my first time in this hold.

- And do you think I am doing a good job keeping it safe? – the Jarl said, jokingly.

- Well, the roads could be safer. Siris and I can account for that… - she said, earning her a laugh from both men. – But I think your hold is way cleaner than the Pale.

- Well, then. I will notify the captain of the guard of your complaint. We don`t want to keep visitors from coming, now, do we?

The three laughed, and Balgruuf signaled to a Dunmer that was standing by his throne.

- This is Irileth. – he said, signaling at the woman. – She is my housecarl, my bodyguard, and she will be your guide to the city.

- It wll be my honor, Dila. – the woman said, bowing respectfully. Dila wasn`t used to those kinds of honors, so she bowed at the Dark Elf. The two men chuckled.

Dila was begging to find something interesting in Siris`s laugh. It seemed… she didn`t knew what it was. It was just catchy. But it also had a sad note to it. Only the slightest of sadness creeped it`s way into the laugh. She liked it.

- Dila, are you allright? – she heard Irileth ask. She snapped from a small trance Siris`s laugh had thrown her in.

- Yes, thank you, Irileth. – she said, emabrassed. She then put a smile on her face. – Shall we go, then?

- Of course. You lead.

The two women walked across the dinning room and went outside. Siris closed the great wooden door behind them. They walked down the stone stairs. It was a beautifull sunset, behind the mountains that circled the city.

- So, Dila… - Irileth started, as they circled the tree in the centre of the plaza. – How did you meet Siris?

- Oh, that? – Dila pondered. If she told her, would it do any damage? – He helped me with some trouble I got in. After that, we slept on an inn and he got some job from someone called Black-Briar…

- Black-Briar? – Irileth snapped, barging into Dila`s line of thought. – What does that despicable woman want?

- Excuse me?

- Did she gave Siris a letter?

Dila recalled. She remembered Siris showing her the letter he had received from Maven. It was sealed with a black Nightshade seal. Siris said something about it being important. Dila described the seal to Irileth, which caused the Dunmer`s eyes shine with a glow of darkness.

- That is Black-Briar`s Seal of Importance. It seems she is finally stretching out and offering her support to someone. Where are you going to?

- He mentioned Solitude and… I`m sorry, is there a war going on?

Irileth looked at her, obviously shocked by her obliviousness. The town was beginning to get quiet, probably the mothers calling their children home.

- You don`t know about the Stormcloak Rebeliion?

- No.

- For how long have you been on Skyrim?

- About two years.

- Have you been living under a rock?

- No, but we never got passed any city gates. All we heard was that the guards were tried of going to duty. Something about arrows to the knees…

- Let me put you up to speed. Skyrim is the homeland of the Nords,and the Empire…

00000

Siris downed another gulp of mead. The strong taste was mixed with something a bit sweeter.

- Juniper berries? – he asked.

- Yes. We have a few barrels left. Helgen might be gone, but we were smart enough to save a little bit of their mead.

- I heard about Helgen.

- Terrible thing, no? – Balgruuf said, taking another gulp on his tankard. – Dragons. They used to be just stories my mother told me about.

- Good thing that we had that Dovahkiin to take care of Alduin. – Siris said, taking a bite in the apple pie. The sweet taste combined well with the Juniper berries in the mead. – Where is he, anyway?

- He went to High Hrothgar, to live as a Greybeard the rest of his life.

Siris raised his tankard, in a silent toast. The dining table felt empty without Irileth and the rest of the Jarl`s staff. They were sitting in the middle of the table, in front of each other. They gulped deeply and thumped the tankards in the table.

- So, that Khajit. – Balgruuf began, grinning. – How did you meet her?

- Oh, nothing much. Saved her life, paid her some mead, the usual.

Balgruuf sent out a thundering laugh. Siris knew this was just an act. Balgruuf was one of the few people who could beat him in the drinking business.

- You are not going to fool me this time. I`m not carrying you to bed.

- Equally said. – Balgruuf said, downing another quarter of his mead. – Shall we see how long we can last?

- Not now. I am afraid that the damsels might come in through the door. And you know how I act if I get drunk.

- A lot funnier than you are now.

- Besides, I have something I needed to discuss with you. And I`d prefer to do it sober.

Balgruuf sighed, took off his crown and placed it in front of him. He knew what was going to happen. Siris was way too straightforward that evening for it to be anything other than that.

- Black-Briar is taking sides, isn`t she?

- I didn`t open the letter this time, but she wouldn`t send me to Solitude if it wasn`t something as important as this.

- What do you think is written in the letter? – Balgruuf said, staring emptily into the central ruby in the crown.

- I don`t know. It could be a threatening letter to Tulius, or it could be an allegiance note. I have no idea. And honestly… - he said, taking another gulp at the mead. – I think it`s about time you chose sides. You are probably the only man in the nine holds to have not chosen sides.

Balgruuf sighed. He knew that what Siris was saying was true. He stood up and walked to a window, taking a look at the stars in the sky.

- Look, I need time to think.

- Balgruuf, I…

- When you return, I will have the answer. Now… - he said, retaking his place in front of Siris. – Tell me what you think of Dila.

- What do you mean? – Siris said, grinning.

- You know what I mean. I don`t know anything about Khajit beauty. But as a beast, I guess you would have some idea of what is a good-looking Khajit.

- Siris laughed at the possibility.

- I guess it has something to do with their ears. Maybe the tail. Or maybe it`s the eyes…

He remembered her eyes. Green, with the kind of savage beauty that fascinated Siris so much. He remembered her sweet laugh.

- Siris?

Siris was thrown back into reality. The Jarl was tapping him in the shoulder.

- You all right? – his friend asked, concerned.

- Yes. I just need some more mead.

00000

Dila and Irileth were walking back up the stairs.

- So the Thalmor rule the empire because of the White-Gold Concordat? – Dila asked, beginning to understand what she had gotten herself into.

- More or less. Ever since they outlawed the cult to Talos, they only attracted more animosity from the Nords, the Stormcloacks in special.

They had done many things. Dila needed more arrows in her quiver. Luckilly, the blacksmith of the city had plenty to spare, and Dila even bought herself two new daggers, made out of the same material as her bow, Malachite.

In the time lapse that had passed, Dila`s animosity towards the Nords turned into hate. The first opportunity she`d have, she would join the Legion. She was itching to get revenge on the people who had treated her like trash. Irileth could see the fire in the eyes of the Khajit.

As they opened the door to Dragonsreach, they were greeted by a view none of them would forget for quite some time.

Siris and the Jarl were dancing on top of the dinning table`s hall table, singing something about Dragons, all the while kicking pies and candles all over the place. Dila dodged an apple pie that Siris kicked in her direction, before being hit by another that the Jarl had kicked. When the two men saw her, crouching while the filling of the pie went down her face, they stared at her silently for a moment for a moment. The room was quiet for a few seconds, right before Siris broke the peace by laughing as loudly as his lungs permitted him.

Dila wasn`t sure what to do. Actually, she wanted to punch Siris`s snout in. Instead, she started laughing. Firstly, a nervous, quiet laughing, which quickly became as loud as Siris`s. Irileth just stood there, not sure of how to handle the situation. Siris stumbled and Dila rushed to him. As he fell on the ground, she crouched by him.

- Siris! – she said, procupied. – Are you hurt?

He rolled to the side, and Dila saw that he was still laughing. A strong smell of alcohol emanated from his mouth. She started laughing with him.

- Dila. – she heard Irileth say. She turned around and saw that Irileth was helping a nearly unconscious Balgruuf walk. – We better get them to bed. Do you want some help?

- No need. I can lift him. See you in the morning, Irileth.

As Irileth disappeared up the the stairs, Dila put Siris`s arm around her shoulders before hauling him up. He was still chuckiling lightly. The laugh resonated on his chest, and Dila felt her own chest tremble. She felt comfortable. He was lighter than he seemed.

- You are going to have to thank me a lot in the morning.

But the saying fell in emptiness: Siris was already asleep. He snored slightly. Dila quickened her pace. She opened a little door near an alchemy table. A small bed was located near the wardrobe. She lowered him in the bed.

- There you go, sleepyhead.

She observed him sleeping. He seemed so tranquil.

Why did she felt so warm?

"He is an Argonian! We were supposed to hate each other!"

She lowered her head and planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

- Sleep well, Siris.


	6. Road to Solitude

Chapter 6:

Siris woke up in the morning. He saw he was in the guest room. Someone must`ve carried him there.

- I wonder who it was. – he said, rubbing his forehead. The mead had probably gone to his head again. – Damn Helgen and their sweet mead.

He laughed at his own joke. He quickly kicked the blanket out of his body and proceeded to dress himself. However, he was already dressed. He started to look for his Dai-Katana. As he was done doing so, he heard footsteps coming in his direction. He turned to the door as Dila entered the small room.

- Good morning, Siris. – she said, a smile on her lips.

- Morning, Dila. Did you enjoy your tour of the city, yesterday?

- Yes, sure. But it was… enlightening.

- What do you mean? – Siris said, intrigued.

- Irileth explained to me what they call the Civil War.

- You didn`t knew about it? – Siris was surprised. For someone who walked across the whole land, she surely was misinformed.

Dila stopped. She wasn`t sure about how to continue. She had rehearsed what she would be saying, but Siris`s comment threw her of. How she would continue was a mystery for her.

- Yes, she explained it to me while you were here getting drunk. – she said, changing to a defensive tone.

Siris held his hands up. What did he say that time?

- Wait a second. – Siris said. – Did you carry me over to my room?

Dila was struck again. He surely knew how to keep her off balance. Siris let out a small laugh and said:

- Well, now I guess we are even.

She chuckled at the joke.

- I guess.

- Anyway, what were you saying?

- I decided I will be staying at Solitude. I`m going to join the Legion.

This time, it was Siris that was thrown off of balance. That meek little cat was really radical when it came to battle and Nords.

- That is good. So, you`ll stay at Solitude whatever the content of the letter is?

- Yes. It`s time I have my revenge. – she said, eyes slit.

"What startled her this time?"Siris thought, but soon his thoughts derailed. "Even slit, her eyes are really pretty."

- So, if I have to go to Windhelm and join Ulfric Stormcloak, you will still stay in Solitude?

That caught Dila by surprise. She hadn`t thought about that.

- Yes. – she said, and she barely even recognized her voice as she said that.

- Oh. Okay then.

Siris silently walked past her.

"Well, I guess it`s over, then." he thought, in his mind. "Briar is surely going to offer her support to Ulfric. She never really did like the Beast races. Besides, what would she gain as a member of the Legion? She was always friends with Ulfric."

Siris took an apple of the table. The Jarl`s staff was already up, so he asked a guard:

- Where is my Sword?

- I didn`t see it anywhere, Siris. – the guard said. – Maybe the Jarl has.

Siris found the situation peculiar. He never got separated from his sword. He owed his kill count to that sword. Siris went to Balgruuf, who was upstairs, reading a map. The map was riddled with flags, some with the Stormcloak Bear of Windhelm , others with the Imperial Wolf of Solitude. The map seemed in perfect balance by now. -

- Good morning, Siris. – the Jarl said, lifting his tired gaze from the maps. – I was just seeing how the Dragonborn`s truce was going.

- I guess he was really fair. The map is perfectly balanced. One more reason you should choose. Anyway, did you see my sword?

- That old piece of trash? – Balgruuf said, amused. – I didn`t see it anywhere. Why?

- I can`t find it…

Siris was beginning to get worried. His sword was one of the few things he treasured, if not the only thing he treasured. Losing his sword would be like losing an old friend…

- You mean this sword?

Siris turned around, only to find Dila standing behind him, holding the sword in it`s scabbard. Siris reached for her, but Dila graciously danced out of the way.

- Wait! You might break it!

- Oh, the mighty Siris, the prime warrior of the Argonian race, is afraid he might lose his sword! – Dila said, before laughing and running down the stairs, with Siris hot on persuit.

As they passed through the door, Siris noticed how early it was. The sun was still shinning with a an orange color, instead of the blazing yellow of midday. Dila ran fast, laughing joyously as she did. When she reached a small garden on the backyard of the Jarl`s mannor, Siris tackled her. They rolled on the floor a couple of meters. On the end, they were both laughing. Siris was lying on top of her, and the sword had dropped to her side. Dila`s legs were by his side. As they stopped laughing, Siris noticed how close their mouths were, barley a few centimeters from each other. They stared at each other`s eyes, green meeting green.

Siris watched her closely. Her mouth was a bit open, and he noticed how heavy and rhythmic her breathing was.

He got up, picking his sword up. She sat up.

- Well, I guess we`ll be going then. – she said, regaining her breath.

- Yeah. Let me just speak to Balgruuf. Then we can head to Solitude.

00000

They were on their way. Not by foot by foot this time, though. Balgruuf had insisted them both to go by carriage. Siris doze of in the middle of the way to Solitude. Dila was well awake the whole way. They had been so close that morning. She`d looked into Siris`s eyes, more deeply than she`d ever had.

She observed his sleeping form as the carriage slowly went up the way to Solitude. His chest expanding and contracting, his arms closed on his sword, his head gently rocking to the carriage`s vibrations as they passed a rocky part of the road.

And the thought of separating herself from him seemed darker than it should be. She grasped her amulet of Dibella. The purple colors usually soothed her when she was in time of crisis. She wasn`t in crisis at the moment. And yet, why did she felt as if the amulet was soothing her? She remembered of the time when she got the amulet. It had been a long time ago.

" – What did you get this time, Dila?

- I got this beautifull amulet. You wouldn`t believe it, Marash. Someone just left it lying there, out in the open.

The two of them were in a small house, on the outskirts of Dune. It was an unforgiving city.

- You know, Dila? – Dro`Marash had began. – We have to get out of here. We are merely fifteen years old, but we are not going to advance any further in the Hyerarchy if we stay in Elsweyr.

- You are right. But where should we go?

- Dro whipped out a map. In the middle, written in big letters, was written: Skyrim…"

- Dila? – she heard Siris`s voice. – Wake up.

- Uh… what happened?

- You slept. We are arriving, sleepyhead.

It was true. The stone portals of Solitude stood high in front of her, higher than any other she`d ever seen. Siris went down first and helped her down. The Argonian held her hands a second too long before quickly drawing his hand in his pocket. The gates opened and they entered.

An execution was going on.

A Stromcloak sympathizer was with his head on the chopping block. He was screaming something about going to Sovngarde, and that his ancestors were smilling upon him. Dila was morbidly fascinated by the show. But when the executioner raised his axe and brought it down to the prisioner`s neck, she buried her head in Siris`s shoulder.

- Afraid?

- No. This doesn`t seem fair. He can`t defend himself.

- War is never fair. – Siris said, before hauling her along the main street. – Come on. We have to go to Castle Dour.

In truth, she wasn`t afraid of the execution, nor she thought it was unfair to have the Nord`s head rolling in the floor.

She was afraid of the letter, and the fact that she would have to kill Siris, depending on what was written in it.

00000

Siris and Dila went up the stairs, as slowly as they could. Siris`s hand was tingling. He was counting all guards and all windows, trying to find an escape route. He could take any guard in the fortress, but Dila…

They arrived at the top of the fortress. A guard was standing outside a door.

- What is your business here, lizard?

- Slow down on the slurs. I`m here in peace. I have a message to General Tulius. – Siris got closer to the guard and purposely lowering his voice. – I don`t think you`d like Maven Black-Briar to wait, would you?

The guard gulped and let Siris pass.

- It`s good to see someone still has his priorities straight.

Dila chuckled at the joke and the air lightened a bit. Siris`s laugh also made her relax. If they were to be separated, she would have at least listened to it one last time.

Tulius was pacing nervously up and down the room, his gold-red armor shining in the lights of the small room. The same map that Siris had seen in Dragonsreach was open in the center of the table. The only difference was the rather big knife stuck on Windhelm. Tulius stopped whatever he was doing to look at Dila and Siris. They both felt diminished by the general`s gaze. He stood there, observing them both for a minute.

Siris began to talk.

- It seems that even in a period of truce, the General still can`t get his head out of the war.

- These are hard times, Argonian. We must take every opportunity we got to defeat the Stormcloaks. And who would you two be?

- I am Siris of Black Marsh.

- And I am Dila of Elsweyr.

- I guess you already know who I am. So… - he said, sitting down. – What can I do for you.

Siris nervously reached for the letter in his pocket. His hands were shaking.

"I have to keep calm."

- I… I…

- I wish to join the Legion. – Dila barged in. Siris thanked her for the interruption.

The General eyed her with curiosity. He pondered a bit and said:

- And what good would I do to the Legion by accepting it?

- You could… What would you…

- You would be loosing the best archer in all of Skyrim. – were the words that exited Siris`s mouth. Dila turned to him. Even though her mouth didn`t even move, her eyes said "Thank you"

The general raised his eyebrows in amusement.

- Well, that remains to be seen. Welcome to the Legion, Dila from Elsweyr.

Dila released a breath of relief. Siris was happy for her. Now she would be able to exact her revenge.

- What about you, Siris from Black Marsh?

- I am a messenger for Black-Briar. – Siris said. The general `s posture straightened and he was suddenly very interested in what would follow. – I believe she is taking sides.

Siris took out the note from his pocket. The seal had not been damaged, and the letter was intact. Siris nervously handed it to Tulius, who then opened it and was about to read it. He suddenly stopped.

- What will happen to you if Black-Briar has chosen the Stormcloacks over the Legion?

Siris hadn't even had the courage to answer that question. He stumbled a little before saying:

- In that case, I would request that you would let me go peacefully, as I am merely a messanger.

Dila visibly shuddered at the thought. The general changed his gaze to the letter and started reading it.

"What is taking you so long?" Siris thought, worried.

Then the General smiled:

- I am happy to announce that that won`t be the case. Black-Briar has given her full support for us. Welcome to the Legion, Siris of Black Marsh


	7. A Bitter Memory

_**Sorry, sorry, sorry, guy! I got tangled with some personal issues, and I had to leave the story for a while. I promise I will never do that again.**_

**_So, without further delay, dudes and dudetes, I preesnt to you Chapter 7_**

* * *

Chapter 7:

Siris felt his head become ten times lighter, and a juvenile smile came across his face. Dila jumped on his neck, embracing him in a tight hug. The general laughed. The times in which he could tend to the needs of two people at the same time were few and far between, but he helped whenever he could.

- Now, since you have both just began, you shall start as Auxiliaries. Report to Legate Rikke. She will give you your first assignement.

The two went out of the door and went down the spiral staircase. Siris was overjoyed. On the way out, he cheerfully waved at the guard that stood by the door. The guard gave him a confused look and shook his head, unnamused.

- Dila. – he said. – You can break the hug now.

Dila blushed and released the Argonian`s neck. Siris made as if he was gasping for air, which earned him a laugh and a playful punch on the arm.

- Stop with that.

- Is the damsel distressed? – he said, playfully. – I can turn around and leave, if you want so.

- No! – she screamed, turning around. An awkward moment floated between the two of them. Dila spun on her heels and restarted walking to the Legate`s room. – I`m sorry.

Siris stood there for a moment, not sure of what to do. He smirked and followed her to the Legate`s quarters. That Khajiit had a will made out of ebony, that was for sure.

The Legate was sitting on a chair. Her room was smaller than the one Tulius had for himself. She was wearing a steel armor, designed by the Legion. Her helmet was resting on a table, sided with her sword. She turned around when Siris and Dila entered. She sighed before saying:

- An Argonian and a Khajiit. Tulius is really getting desperate for recruits.

The insult made Siris fown and Dila bare her fangs. Siris started:

- And I see you are just as racist as the Stormcloacks, no? It seems that all you Nords are like that.

The Legate laughed joylessly before standing up. She was the same size as Dila.

- You two come from Whiterun, don`t you? – she asked. When both of them nodded in agreement, she continued. – As you know, the Jarl of Whiterun, Balgruuf the Greater, is still undecided about what side to help. You are to deliver this message to him. – the legate gave Siris a small roll of paper. Siris looked in her eyes, and the cold look he received back meant "Don`t open it".

- Ma`am, yes ma`am.

They left Castle Dour after that. Siris really wasn`t looking forward to another long trip, and neither did Dila.

- You know… - he said, looking at her. – Why don`t we stay at an inn tonight. We can go to Whiterun tomorrow. I am sure the Legate wouldn`t mind.

Dila looked at him, as if surprised.

- I don`t think so, Siris. – she said, looking directly in his eyes. He seemed surprised at this. – The sooner we get to Whiterun, the sooner this war can start. And I`m anxious to kill some Nords.

Siris was surprised at this. Dila had been wanting her revenge for quite some time now. They had met two weeks ago, and since then he assumed that that would have been her utmost preoccupation. But he never thought it escalated to that level.

- All right. You want to leave now?

- The sooner, the better.

- Then we can leave now.

00000

The road was muddy. A small shower had been falling for the past hour. Dila remembered the day the caravan was attacked. Siris had shown up so fast, almost as if he knew where to find her. She had never felt so relieved in her life. Someone had come to her aid. Living as a beggar in Dune had told her to live by herself.

But she was quite enjoying Siris`s company.

She was walking in front of him, for a change. Her bow was firm on her back, alongside her quiver. Her leather armor was beginning to become damaged, same as her cloak. She needed a change of attire.

"I guess I can make a requisition to the Legion. I am sure they will give me a new one".

She did not want to ask too much out of the Legion, though. They had already made her a favor by accepting her on their ranks.

Siris, however, was faring quite well. That brown coat he wore had not torn once ever since she had known him, and his sword never lost it`s edge.

"I guess he`s luckier than I am." Dila said, with a smile. Siris noticed this, and did not miss an opportunity to tease her:

- Is the lady remembering some romantic adventure she had on the past?

Dila laughed at the thought. No, she had never been romantically involvled with anyone. Dro`Marash once told her that Kharjo had his eyes on her, but she knew that she was attractive for a Khajit. Even if she wasn`t as… voluptuous as other woman, she could hold her own. And she had a feeling she might have actually made an impression on Siris.

- No, Siris. None to speak of. – she responded. – What about you?

- Once. – he said, absent minded. Dila surely wasn't expecting that. Siris was usually quite reserved about his past. – Back on Black Marsh.

Dila turned around, very interested.

- What was she like?

- She had orange scales, the color of your fur, actually. Her eyes were yellow. She had horns on her head, they swirled and stooped right on her eyes height. She…

- I didn`t meant physically.

Siris stopped walking, and so did Dila. Siris was about to say something when they heard something. Some kind of buzzing. Siris instantly drew his Da-Katana.

- Spriggans. – he said. Dila readied her bow. They got into a back to back position. – They could come from anywhere. Be carfeull.

Dila nodded. Siris had his sword in his right hand and a throwing dagger in the left. Dila had a bow and three arrows ready to fire. They watched the surroundings closely. A small tear of sweat trickled down Dila`s face.

A bear came out of the bushes.

- Oh, no, not one of these things again… - Siris said, much to Dila`s amusement.

- Well, if you are having trouble, jus shout like you did last time…

- Did I shout?

- How do you think I found you?

A wolf appeared behind a tree. Dila saw he had a green aura around him. She let the arrows loose. They impaled the wolf`s eye, leg and chest, and it fell down without a sound. Dila picked another arrow and readied it.

- Here comes the big boss. – Siris said. Over her shoulder, Dila saw what he meant. The Spriggan had come out of it`s hiding place, and was now preparing to throw a spell at them. Siris quickly threw the knife at it, forcing it to break the spell and dodge the projectile. Dila, in turn, fired several arrows at it, keeping it at bay while Siris finished the bear with an overhead strike.

As Dila reached for her quiver, she grabbed empty air. She was shocked. She was out of arrows. The Spriggan took advantage of it, and dashed in, faster than Dila could react. It grabbed her neck and lifted her up in the air. Dila could feel the Spriggan`s woody fingers burrowing deep in her flesh, slowly suffocating her. She kicked the creature`s chest, but all it did was choke her with much more force. She could feel the life being slowly taken away from her.

Then, the blade of a sword appeared from the Spriggan`s chest. It was a curved blade, and it continued to grow until it stayed only a few inched away of Dila`s face. The Spriggan`s glow began to fade, and the fingers that had been crushing her throat lost their grip, letting Dila fall to the ground. She saw that Siris had skewered the beast from behind. As he pulled the sword back with a growl, the Spriggan`s taproot went out with it. Without it, the Spriggan collapsed into a small pile of ash on the ground. Siris looked at Dila, who was sprawled on the floor, and smiled.

- We have our bonfire for the evening.

00000

They had set camp not much after the Spriggan trap. Siris did not have to go hunting this time. A chunk of bear meat was already resting in his stomach, and the fire was keeping them both warm. Dila rekindled the conversation they were having earlier.

- So, that girl…

- Krona? – Siris said, almost sighing. He really didn`t like that subject.

- Yes. How did you two meet?

- I suppose that if I tell you that we met on a completely passive situation and it she had an honest job you would belive me, right?

Dila said nothing, merely crossing her arms in response.

- I guessed as much. – Siris said. He took a deep breath. – She was also a Shadowscale, with me. We met on a contract. Someone had actually been dumb enough to get two Shadowscales for the same target.

- I thought that you were family?

- Oh, don`t get me wrong. The Shadowscales are a family. We didn`t have much contact with our parents when we were young, and we could never contact them by any means. So, growing up with three kids your age and a mentor-father, you begin to know a family.

- Three? Don`t the Shadowscales work on larger groups?

- We begin our training as four, but when we achieve our first contract, they send us all to the same place. So, where was I? – he said.

"We are arriving at the bad part. Please, Talos, make her sleep…"

- At the part where she was a Shadowscale.

- Oh, right. When I went out on my first contract, the first I ever did, I was supposed to assassinate a corrupt general. So, I head to his house and find it locked. What do I do? I go through a window. I walk up a flight of stairs, and I find this big, strong Argonian sleeping like a baby by his wife`s side. I took out my dagger. I had trained for that a couple of time. Slit the throat, get out, get prize, get drunk. And I was about to do so when I heard a small click down the stairs…

- The door had been unlocked.

Siris smiled and nodded in agreement. Dila could catch things with a speed he himself envied.

- Exactly. So I hid in the wardrobe of the General. I could see who came in the room. A slender, female Argonian walked in the room, dagger in hand. At the time, I thought she was a petty thief, wanting to steal something. But she was moving so silently something had to be off.

- What do you mean?

- We are trained for everything. Alchemy, open fighting and archery, those are all things that we can do. But we are trained especially in the art of sneaking. We learn ways of muffling every little sound we make. We learn how to move according to the material we are stepping in, minimize sound.

- So she was using one of those techniques?

- Yes. She was moving according to the floors flow. Only Shadowscales do that willingly. Anyway, even if I didn`t know that she was a Shadowscale, the kill was mine. So I sneaked out of the wardrobe and grabbed her from behind. She slid underneath me and we started to fight. I`m going to spare you the details, but let`s just say I owe some of those scars you saw on my chest to her.

- And she turned out to be Krona? – Dila asked, already knowing the answer.

Siris nodded once again. The thought of Krona brought a tear up to his eye. He cleaned it before continuing.

- We eventually became lovers, and that lasted for a few years. Right up until…

He cleaned another tear from his eye. Dila noticed it this time, but she didn`t let up.

- Until?

Siris took a long breath and continued.

- Right up until I decided to leave the Shadowscales for good.

Dila was recoiled in shock after hearing that. Siris had never told her that he had left the Shadowscales behind.

- And what happened for you to make that decision?

- Our leader was becoming corrupt. He was taking contracts from anyone who had money. We might have been a group of assassins, but we always thought about the good of our nation before gold. We learned that he was getting involved in a coup to kill the king. And we couldn`t allow that. But… - Siris said. He had given up on cleaning the tears. – My brothers agreed to do that. Even Krona, though she regretted it. Poor girl. She said she had sworn an oath to their leader, and that she wouldn`t ignore orders. I tried to making some sense out of her mind, but she was really stubborn…

- Like someone I know. – Dila said, trying to lighten up the mood. If Siris found any humor in that joke, he disguised it very well.

- I left in the middle of the night, one day. I was hunted relentlessly across almost all of Argonia. Unfortunately, the first Shadowscale to catch me was… was…

- Krona…

Siris was beginning to sob.

- I had to kill her, Dila… - he spat out. – I had to. She was after me. She wanted my head.

"Damn, you idiot, what are you doing?"said a voice inside his head, as he brought up his hands to his eyes. "You have leaned to deal with this!"

- I am so sorry, Krona… - he said, starting to push back the memory.

As he took his hands out of his eyes, he saw that Dila was standing in front of him. She looked at him in the eyes, slowly calming him. She grabbed his hands. He stood up. He was half a head taller than her. Her hands moved up his arms and to his back. He put his hands on her shoulders.

Dila slowly started to approach him. She slightly turned her head to the left. Their mouths were approaching.

Slowly, their lips touched. Dila closed her eyes, and Siris did the same. He brought his hands to her waist. They kissed more intensely. Dila wrapped her arms around Siris`s neck.

They stood there, for a few seconds, embraced. Siris took a carful step towards one of the tents. To his surprise, she immediately followed his movement. He smiled, their mouths still locked.

His hands slid down further, and Dila let out a soft moan, before wrapping her legs around Siris`s waist. Surprised by the balce changing Siris clumsily stepped back, before walking toward the tent and entering it, carrying Dila in his arms. They laid dow, Siris on top of Dila. They broke the kiss for a second. Their gazes met again. Siris unhooked one of the leather straps on her armor, and she unhooked the other. She rolled on top of him and removed the rest of the straps. The arnor fell, revealing her naked torso. Siris`s hand reached up and caressed her breasts. She let out a moan and approached Siris`s ear.

- I love you. – she whispered.

- I love you too

* * *

_**P.S.: Please don`t ask me how a lizard and a cat kiss...**_


	8. Balgruufs Decision

Chapter 8

Dila woke up in the middle of the night. She ran her hands up the scaly harms that were holding her. She liked the feeling of his scales on her skin.

- Awake, aren`t you? – she heard Siris say. She was surprised by this.

They were both naked, lying on their sides. Their tails were entangled. Dila smiled and snuggled closer to Siris. He responded by enveloping her tightly.

- Yes. You didn`t sleep? –she answered, voice still slow from sleeping.

- No. I was just here, watching you. Didn`t want to wake you up.

- Oh, don`t worry. You didn`t. If anything, you gave me sweet dreams…

He laughed, and her system trembled with his chest. She looked up to his face. He had a smile on. He moved his hand up her back and began caressing the back of her neck.

- You are really soft. – he said, making Dila blush. – I like that.

- Better than scales? – she asked.

- Much.

She tilted her head up and they kissed. For Dila, his mouth felt heavenly.

- Did you enjoy the night? – he said, playful.

- Yes. It was…

She stopped. She remembered not telling Siris it had been her first time. While she was thinking on what to say, Siris just kept running his hand down her spine, sending shivers through her whole body.

- It was? – he asked.

- … an interesting first experience. – she said, shy.

Siris chuckled lightly.

- It was your first time?

- Yes. Even though…

She suddenly rolled on her back, bringing Siris again on top of her. Siris seemed surprised, but not the least uninterested.

… I wouldn`t mind going for a second experience... and the night has just begun… - she said, in a husky tone.

- I wouldn`t mind dancing again, if the lady would permit. – he said, lowering his voice down to a whisper. She smiled. Siris had the ability to make her smile appear under any circumstances. She liked that.

She nodded, biting her lower lip. Siris slowly brought his hands to her front, cupping her breasts. He kissed her slowly. His right hand went down further, drawing circles on her stomach. She began to feel him harden underneath the sheet. He was taking it much slower this time. She moved her hands through her lover`s back, discovering every inch of him. His hand reached her nether regions, and she broke the kiss, gasping with the surprise. She reached down and grabbed his member. He moaned, not expecting that.

- You are a fast learner -he said, putting his left hand behind her head.

Before she could say anything, he pulled her up to a kiss. After that, they lost themselves in each other once again.

00000

They were once again in front of Whiterun. This time, the guard let them pass without asking for his identity. They walked pass the marketplace and went directly to Dragonsreach. As they opened the doors, Balgruuf was talking to Irileth and his steward, Proventus. He didn`t notice them right up until Siris walked up the steps to his throne.

- Siris. – he said, voice filled with trouble. – What news do you relay me?

- Black-Briar`s support goes to the Legion. They asked me to give you this message.

Siris handed the small paper scroll. He read through it and sighed.

- The Legion asked where my allegiance lies. And I still don`t know.

- Why are you having this trouble, Balgruuf? – Dila asked.

- Reasons too complicated to explain. – Balgruuf said. Then he turned to Siris. – And were do your allegiance lies, old friend?

"With Dila." He thought, looking at the Khajiit.

- I signed with the Legion. In fact, we both have.

They Jarl lowered his shoulders. He was now the only Jarl that had not declared an alliance. His siding would be the key to starting the war.

- Siris, I`ll have your answer tomorrow. Please, understand that.

- I do, friend. Where should we stay tonight, then?

- The guest rooms are occupied. If you wouldn`t mind, I could pay for your stay in the Bannered Mare.

- No need for that. Black-Briar`s money is more than enough. Thank you.

The Jarl nodded, and the two exited the manor. As they were walking, Dila turned to him.

- Can we sit down, please? I`m tired.

- Sure, Dila. Whatever you want.

They sat down in a bench in front of the Shrine of Talos. The city was brimming with life. Kids running around with their mothers behind them, shoppers could be heard yelling about their products, the smell of fruit in the air. That gave Siris an idea.

- Dila, wait here. I`ll be right back. – he said, standing up.

She looked at him, confused. Then she smiled.

- Please, get back soon.

With that he went to the marketplace. He flipped few septims in his fingers. He had smiled and went to the jewelry stand…

00000

Dila had waited for about fifteen minutes when he returned, holding both his hands behind his back. He sat beside her and smiled.

- Close your eyes.

- What is this? – she asked, curious.

- Just close them…

She obeyed. Siris then asked:

- Right hand or left hand?

- Siris, what are you doing? – she asked, laughing. Had he lost his mind?

- Just answer. I`m sure you`ll like it.

- Okay. Since you fight with your right hand… left hand!

- Then open your mouth.

She chuckled and opened her mouth slightly. Siris put something between her fangs.

- Bite.

She did, and an oh-so-sweet taste entered her mouth. She chewed on it, and smiled as she did so. The fruit Siris had given her tasted familiar, but she couldn`t put her finger on what it was. Siris touched her eyes, and she opened them. She saw that Siris was holding the biggest, reddest apple she had ever seen in her life. It fitted perfectly in his palm. He took a bite on it himself.

- By the Nine, I didn`t know it was this sweet. I`d have bought two if I knew.

- Since when apples taste like that? – Dila asked. – All the apples I had ever had with the caravan were small and sour.

- I don`t know about the ones in the Pale, but in here, at this time of year, all apples are like this.

- We should come here often, then.

- But first, your other gift.

Dila closed her eyes, and Siris carefully slipped something on her forehead. As she opened her eyes once again, Siris grabbed her hands. They stood up, and Siris held a small, reflective stone. As she saw herself in it, she gawked at the beautifull circlet Siris had given her.

- Rubies and cooper. Fits you well.

Dila didn`t let him say any more. She immediately clung to his neck and placed a kiss on his mouth. He responded with the same intensity, before they both remembered they were in the middle of the city. They sat down, awkwardly giving looks around.

Dila slowly leaned into Siris. He wraped his left arm around her waist. She purred as he did so. He laughed at that.

- I didn`t think you actually did that…

- Only when we are really happy.

He leaned his head into hers. Then Dila heard a child ask:

- Mommy, why do those people look like animals?

- Because that`s what they are.

Dila`s hands tensed around her daggers hilts. She was eager to test the Malachite blades in something. Siris noticed that and put his hand on hers, and she immediately released the grasp she held on the knives.

- Calm down, Dila. You have to learn to live with that. I would have a bounty in every hold if I didn`t.

You are right. – she said, eyeing the children, who was holding his mother`s sleeve. She must`ve put a lot of anger in the stare, because almost immediately, the boy hid behind his mother. – But that doesn`t mean that I won`t be angered.

- I`m sure of it, dear.

She looked back at him. It was the first time he had ever called her that. She grabbed his chin.

- Why don`t we go get that room now?

- I was going to suggest that. It`s already darkening, if you didn`t notice.

She looked up. The sky was orange in color. She gulped in confusion. They had been standing there for how much time?

As they were about to take their leave, Siris eyes shot open in surprise. He threw Dila back in the bank and drew his sword. Dila wondered what had happened, but before she could ask, Siris brought down his sword. Sparks flew as it hit another blade. Dila followed the sword and saw it was being held by an arm all covered in black. The figure that was clashing with Siris was dressed in black and red, and had a cowl covering his face. Siris broke the clash and spun back, entering another battle position. The assassin stabbed at him. Siris expertly sidestepped out of the way and swung it fast. The assassin rolled out of the way and tried to trip Siris. Siris jumped and landed on the top of his leg. The assassin managed to connect a quick kick in Siris thigh, sending him rolling backwards.

The assassin got up and tried to sever Siris`s throat with a falling attack. Siris dodged and the assassin fell on the ground. Siris lunged at his eyes with his sword. The assassin managed to dodge and, much to Siris`s shock, the Dai-Katana hit the floor shattering in two.

As Siris stood there, holding the now useless handle of his sword, the assassin managed to grab him by the collar. With a spin, the assassin managed to throw him on the ground, before pouncing on him. Siris couldn`t do anything. The assassin was keeping his elbows immobilized with his legs. He raised his sword for the finishing blow. Siris stared at the cold steel, awaiting his death.

But Dila wasn`t going to let a simple assassin kill him. She jumpedon the assassin`s back and, with one swift movement of her wrist, slit the throat of the assassin. The assassin`s hand fell down to his side. With his other, he reached for his throat. The black tissue of the vest he was wearing was begging to get wet. Dila pushed him out of the way. He fell down with a loud thump, then rolled over and died.

Siris got up. After a small moment of silence, he thanked Dila with a kiss. He had seen his life end, only to be saved by that Khajiit he himself had saved not so long ago. He smiled. Then he looked back at the broken hilt. Dila sensed his distress when he threw it away.

- Damned assassin. – he said, kicking his assailant corpse. – That sword was my gift from my master. I`m never going to get another one that good.

Dila almost laughed at Siris reaction. He was complaining about his sword in about the same manner a child cries over a broken toy.

- Well, you have got better things. – she said, teasing him.

- Like?

She got closer to him.

- Like me.

As they were about to kiss again, a guard came running and stopped in front of them.

- Dila… Siris… the Jarl… Stormcloaks… - he said, panting so loudly Dila could barely hear his words.

- Calm down, soldier. Breathe first, talk later.

The guard calmed himself, but as soon as he saw the assassin`s dead body, he jumped back, surprised.

- What happened here?

- I`ll explain later. What were you saying?

- It`s the Jarl. He has made his decision.

Siris looked at Dila, then back at the guard, before hastily running up the stairs, with Dila following him closely.

"I hope he has decided right." she thought, before Siris opened the doors of Dragonsreach…

00000

The Jarl had a smile on his face this time. As Siris approached him, he knew his old friend had already come to a decision. He was anxious to see what it was. His friend had been grieving over the subject for the past few months. Finding him in a good mood in the situation was a breath of fresh air to Siris.

- Balgruuf! – Siris called. – Made your decision yet, or do I have to stay for another year or so?

Balgruuf laughed at the joke.

" A good sign." Siris thought, also smiling.

Siris turned to his assistants. Both Irileth and Proventus had smiles on their faces, though they were not as big as the one Balgruuf had.

- No, you won`t need to. I have made my decision!

- And what is it? What is it?

Dila had said that. She looked like a child waiting for a present. Siris laughed at the scene.

- Dila, my friend. – the Jarl said, stepping past Siris and hugging her. Siris felt a bit uncomfortable about that, but he let it slide.

The Jarl released Dila, who also seemed to be uncomfortable with the situation. Then, Balgruuf took a few steps toward the throne and sat on it.

- After talking to my counselors and friends… - Balgruuf said, to everyone present at the hall. Siris noticed it was quite full, actually. From the rich farmers from the outskirts of the town to the Protector of Riverwood, all important people in the hold seemed to be there. –… I have come to terms with the question that has been saddening me. I once asked myself "In where should my allegiance lie?". But now I see that the question is actually "In where should my allegiance _not_ lie?". And I have come to understand that my allegiance shall not lie with the treacherous ones that call themselves the "True Sons of Skyrim"! The Stormcloacks claim that the land should only be for them, but who are we to say that?

Siris noticed some stirring in the hall. A few Grey-Manes had shifted in their seats uncomfortably, while a few Battle-Borns had started drinking. Siris never did like the Grey-Manes, so this was also a victory to him.

- My own housecarl is a Dunmer, my best friend, an Argonian! – Balgruuf said, pointing toward Siris. His voice was growing in volume as he approached his answer. – I could never turn my back to them. So I say that, from this day on, my allegiance will stay with those that truly deserve Skyrim.

He stood up, triumphantly.

- From this day one, I am an ally to the Legion!


	9. Split Paths

_**Warning!**_

_**This chapter contains scenes that my puppies found innapropriate for younger audiences**_

_**For your safety, read with your eyes closed...**_

* * *

Chapter 9:

Shouts followed. Some of good nature, celebrating the long awaited alliance, others not so much. Irileth had told Dila that the Grey-Manes were Stormcloak sympathizers, and would probably come wanting the Jarl`s blood. In fact, some went as far as drawing their swords.

That didn`t last long though. Siris had pulled two swords out of their respective owners hands, and the rest of the guards already had their weapons drawn. The two guards whose swords were on Siris hands grabbed the hilts of their non-existing swords, before turning to each other in confusion. Dila also had her bow trained at the would-be assailants. Seeing that they were severely outnumbered, the Grey-Manes slowly put down their weapons.

- I was going to let the Grey-Manes stay, as a symbol of non-hostility toward sympathizers. – Balgruuf said, gravely. – But I see that that was a mistake. You are now commanded to leave Whiterun Hold, and, if any of you return, I`ll have your heads.

The Grey-Manes slowly started to scatter. They left through the door, and the Battle-Borns were ready to give chase, but the Jarl stopped them.

- They are to leave unharmed and unharassed. – Dila was actually impressed at the good-nature of the Jarl. Very few men could say they were as honorable as him.

Dila slowly put her bow down when she saw the last Grey-Mane leave the room. Siris gave the swords back to the guards, tapping them in the shoulder and shrugging of two cold stares. He walked back to Dila. She sheathed her bow and turned to him.

- Siris. – Balgruuf said, turning to his friend, before squezzing him in a tight hug. – Thank you for your support. I don`t know what I would have done without you!

- We will discover soon enough… - Siris said, almost suffocating. - … if you don`t release me.

The Jarl did so. Then he noticed something was off with his friend. There was something missing.

- Siris? Where is your sword?

Siris shuffled his feet. Dila knew that he had taken great prize in that sword. She had felt his anger when he had broken it.

- It… broke, Balgruuf. – he said, lowering his voice.

- Can`t we fix it?

- Akvari swords aren`t made through normal forging. They require a much more refined method which, unfortunately, their owners brought to the grave.

Dila could feel Siris sadness when he said that. She had hoped Siris was overacting, but now she saw his distress. The jarl stopped, thoughtfull. Dila knew that Siris could fight with any weapon and even with his bare hands, but the Akvari Dai-Katana was a style upon itself. Siris had thought her that.

Then the Jarl`s face went grim. He had rememebered one thing. One he had been trying to forget for a long time.

- Siris, come with me. I have something that might interest you.

Siris looked at Dila, confused, before looking back to his friend. Balgruuf was heading toward a small stair case that led to the basement.

- What is it? – he asked.

- A new sword…

00000

Siris was following Balgruuf through the small, cramped basement. His friend had insisted that Dila stayed in the main hall. Siris didn`t know why. A sword is just a sword.

- Balgruuf, it`s alright. I can buy a new sword.

- Balgruuf didn`t even listen to him, and merely brought down a small wooden plank from the wall. There was a door behind it.

- Now, Siris. – Balgruuf said, turning toward his friend. – Behind this door is one of the most powerful weapons ever created. It holds unimaginable power. But beware! – he said, lifting a finger in warning. – It is dark in nature. It will try to corrupt you. It will try to break your will and command you. I trust that you are strong enough to spit in it`s face. So, here is my gift to you.

The Jarl opened the door with a small key he had on his pocket. He gestured that Siris stepped inside the small room. To Siris surprise, someone started talking to him.

"Ah! Balgruuf finally got the guts to come here and take me… Or is he sending another filthy mage to try to destroy my symbol on this land?"

Siris looked around, confused. He could see no one other than Balgruuf in the room. His gaze then met with the object on the table. His jaw dropped in surprise.

Laying on a small table, was a beautiful Dai-Katana. It was much different from Siris`s, though: It`s blade was black as the night sky, with what seemed like a golden trim above the hand guard. The hilt was dark grey. He slowly approached it. He extended his right hand to claim the blade. As he touched the hilt, another voice took hold of his mind.

"New flesh to wield this blade! An Argonian, who would have thought"

- Who are you? – Siris asked, confused.

"I`m the Daedric Prince of Secrets, Mephala." A loud laughter flooded his mind when he shuddered. "Don`t be afraid, mortal. I am not evil to those that favor me. I feel that you are worthy of this blade."

Siris felt a cold feeling run up his arms. He was holding a Daedric Artifact. An item of timeless power. It had slain countless beings. And was he guilty that a smile was creeping it`s way to his face?

"Good, you are eager to test this blade. And I sense someone… Why don`t you start with… Dila?.."

Siris released the sword and it fell on the floor. He stepped back, eyeing the sword. A trickle of sweat went down his face.

"Weakling…" sounded on his voice, but that wasn`t what had scared Siris.

He was scared because he couldn`t distinguish who had spoken. Mephala…or himself.

- Siris?

Balgruuf snapped him out of the trance. Siris rolled his eyes across the room before settling them in the sword at his feet. It was a really beautiful sword. Seemed sharp as well. He reached for it once again. This time, no one said nothing. He tested it and gave a light swings. Sattisfied with the silence he received, he slung it on his scabbard.

- Thank you, Balgruuf.

- It`s the Ebony Blade. It is said to leech the life of those it hurt. It looks good on you.

- Thanks. I guess.

Balgruuf smacked him across the shoulder. Then they went up again.

As Siris emerged from the door, he saw that Dila was leaning on the small barrier, waiting for him. Siris lightly poked her in the shoulder. She turned and smiled as she saw him. Balgruuf laughed. Siris turned to him.

- I think it`s beginning to get dark. We should go to the inn.

- I won`t stop you. Go ahead.

They left the house and almost ran over to the Bannered Mare. Siris quickly asked for a room, before flinging ten septims on the counter. The barkeeper threw him a key. They went up the stairs. Before Siris could open the door, Dila turned him around and kissed him. She kissed him so strongly that she pinned him to the door. He ran his left hand down her curves, while his left hand kept fiddling with the key, trying to fit it in the lock. He managed it, and they both fell in the ground as the door slammed open. Siris closed it with his leg. They stopped for air.

- Wouldn`t you like to move to a more comfortable place? – he asked, admiring his lover.

She nodded in agreement. A moment later, they were in the bed, fighting for dominance. He had it for the time being. He held her wrists with both hands, and she moaned softly. She smiled, right before yelling:

- AAH! – she screamed as if in pain.

Siris let go of her wrists, afraid that he had hurt her. She took the opportunity to flip him under her, straddling him. Somehow he ended up with his wrists locked by her legs.

- Not again… - he moaned. She smiled and began grinding. He closed his eyes.

"I am in heaven…"

00000

In the next morning, Dila woke up first, for a change. They were again entangled in the position they had held once they both had reached the apex. She got up, trying not to wake him up. She slid from under the blanket and started looking for her clothes. She didn`t seem to find them anywhere though. Her tail swung in annoyance. She turned to bed…

… only to find Siris staring at her, holding his head up with his hand. He had something else underneath the covers.

- Good morning. – he said. – Looking for something?

As he said that, he slowly brought his other hand from under the cover. He was holding her chestplate.

- How did you…

- Shadowscale, remember?

She laughed and snatched it from his grip. She then noticed the sword lying by the floor.

- Beautiful like a sliver of midnight…

Siris got up and bowed to get his vests from the floor. He quickly put them on. Dila did the same, but not before he pulled her in for a long kiss.

- Not as beautiful as you…

She blushed. They had been lovers for two nights now, but she felt like she had known for a long time. She cared for him.

He slung his sword in his back.

- Now, if the lady can get ready… - he said, grinning. – We can be on our way.

She put her armor on quickly, letting the cloak fall on her back. She took her bow and arrows in her hand and exited with Siris, holding his hand. They went out of the inn and headed straight for Dragonsreach. The Jarl was lost in thought, sitting on his throne.

- Ah! Siris! Dila! – he said, looking up to them. – I was wondering when you would show up.

- Well, here we are.

Balgruuf whipped an axe from his belt. He got up from the throne and walked to Siris. He handed Siris the axe.

- Balgruuf, if you keep giving me weapons, I might become a little bit too heavy…

- No, Siris, this weapon is not for you. It`s for Ulfric.

Dila was confused. Why was Balgruuf giving Ulfric an weapon?

- Ulfic`s War Axe, isn`t it? – Siris must`ve caught sight of Dila`s face, as he began explaining her what that meant. – An old custom among Nords. The one that wishes to make peace gives away a weapon as a gift; if the other person gives the weapon back, then war is declared between them.

- So, you are finaly making your support to the Legion public. – Dila said, turning to Balgruuf. – Let me guess: you want Siris and I to go get the weapon to Ulfric, right?

- No. I want Siris to go and give him his axe. You will stay here.

"What?" she thought, shaken by Balgruuf`s words. "Why?"

- Why, my Jarl? – she asked, nervous.

- As much as you are a capable fighter, a bow won`t suit in every situation. – Siris answered. – And your adversary won`t have his back turned to you every time you see him. So I asked Balgruuf that he let his housecarl train you. He accepted it.

Dila felt a tear beginning to form in her eyes. She wanted to cry. The man she wanted…hell, loved!.. was leaving in a dangerous mission, and she was going to sit around, hitting dummies with wooden sticks. She felt powerless. However, she swallowed the tear and let it die within her. She had to be strong like Siris.

- But I have a better idea, now that I think of it… - Siris said, rubbing his chin. – Balgruuf, could you perhaps talk Kodlak into training her without needing to join the Companions?

Balgruuf smiled at his friend`s statement. Yes, Kodlak and the Companions were the most honored warriors in all of Skyrim. They would train her gladly.

- Of course, Siris. Now, If you want to get back soon, you better leave soon. There is a table waiting for both of you in the other hall. Eat and drink all you want.

They ate their breakfast in silence. Dila couldn`t even manage to look at Siris. Any thought about him brought her a sense of preoccupation.

When they were finished, they went to meet Balgruuf. He gave Siris a small pack with a cloak made out of wolf fur.

- It`s going to be cold at Windhelm. Take this.

- Finally, all those wolves I killed paid for something.

Balgruuf chuckled.

- Goodbye, friend. – then he turned to Dila. – You can go with Siris. I will speak to Kodlak. Your training will begin tomorrow.

She nodded, and followed Siris through the door. They walked slowly through the city, Dila leaning on Siris. The sky was light grey, as the sun hadn`t risen yet, and there were clouds gathering. They reached the gate and went through it.

The vision of the prairie by the morning was blurred by the tears that now ran through Dila`s eyes freely. No one was watching them. She turned to Siris and hugged him. He hugged her back.

- Don`t worry. – he said, nuzzling his snout on her hair. – I`ll be back soon.

- I don`t want to lose you... – she said.

- Dila, nothing is going to happen to me. In four days, I`ll be here, by the gates of Whiterun. And then we will both win this war.

- I know. But I can`t help it… - she said.

Siris released his embrace a little, and she looked up to his eyes. He looked so calm. That calmed her down a bit. They kissed, the taste salty because of the tears rolling down her eyes. He hugged her again, and this time, Dila felt a small tear fall in her hair.

- I love you. – Siris said, before breaking the hug once again and turning to the prairie. – Look at the stars…

Dila turned her head to where he was looking. A few stars dotted the grey picture.

- Goodbye, Dila. – he said, stepping forward quickly. Dila stood there, watching him stride forward. She decided what she was going to do.

She took her bow and went inside.

00000

Siris was pacing forward quickly. He wanted to get to Widhelm as soon as possible, with every nerve in his body telling him not to go at all. To get lost in the forest and disappear. Were it in other circumstances, he would have easily done so. But now that he had Dila…

He heard a whoosh in the air behind him, and looked down to see an arrow by his side. Steel arrow, but there was something wrapped around the shaft. He took the arrow and saw that there was a small piece of paper in the arrow.

He unwrapped it, and, in Dila`s beautiful calligraphy, he saw written:

"I love you too."


	10. Ambush

Chapter 10:

Siris almost gave up on his mission and went back to Dila, but he couldn`t do it. He hadn`t accepted to be the messenger just to go to Windhelm. He had something else he needed to do.

That was why, as soon as he lost Whiterun, he took his sword from his back.

"You finaly decided to wield this blade, mortal? Or are you going to bury it, right here and now?"

- The thought had crossed my mind…

"Hahaha!" Mephala said. "Go ahead, do it! I can just forge another one."

Siris knew that she was telling the truth. But he didn`t want to do it. He knew that by doing that, he would have Mephala against him. And nobody wanted to have an angry Daedric Princess at your heels.

"By your silence, I presume that you have accepted this blade. But it has been out of sight for so many years…"she continued."It needs to taste the blood of a trusted one. Why don`t you go back to Whiterun and do us both a favor. We both know that you don`t love Dila…"

- Shut it! – he said, angry.

"Negating it doesn`t make it a lie…"

- I SAID SHUT IT! – he screamed, throwing the sword away.

He looked at the sword. It seemed harmless again. He picked it.

"I guess trying to reason with it is a waste of time. I`ll just have to block it." he thought, before bringing his hand to his face. "Look at me, arguing with a sword…"

He sighed, and continued to walk forward. He had a long walk in front of him. He wanted to get it done quickly, so he could get back to his lovers soft arms…

00000

She wanted him back.

In the morning, when she woke up, she rolled to the side on her bed, expecting to find herself within his arms, laughing at the horrible dream she`d had. But she almost fell out of the bed, not encountering anything to stop her movement.

"Guess I wasn`t dreaming…" she thought, sadly. She slowly got out of the bed and dressed herself. Her training was going to start today. She needed to be ready.

When she was finished, she exited the inn and strode up to the place the Jarl had shown her. The wooden building was named Jorvaskrr. It had been the lair of the Companions for many ages, if what Balgruuf had told her was to be believed.

As she entered, she found many people eating in a large, square table. All gazes shifted to her. Soon the room was silent, save for a few whispers among the group. A large, fair bearded man stood up. He had a very big axe in his back and was wearing steel armor.

- Balgruuf said he would be sending someone new today. I just didn`t thought she would be so… so… - he tried, scratching his head.

- Feline. – another man said, with both hands on front of his mouth.

- That`s it, brother, thanks.

- What my brother here is trying to say… – the other man said, standing up. – Is that we were expecting you. I am Vilkas. Come with me. Kodlak is downstairs.

He started walking toward a small stair, and Dila quickly followed, but not before noticing a few stares from the male warriors. She entered the small door that Vilkas was holding open for her. As they walked through the underground halls, Vilkas began to talk to her.

- So, you are a friend of Siris, am I correct? – he asked.

"By Akatosh, does that man know everybody in this hold?"

- Yes, you could say that. – she answered, vaguely.

Vilkas seemed satisfied with the answer. The rest of their walk to the end of the corridor was a silent one. They arrived at a door that didn`t seem to be any different from those they had been passing through the hall. Vilkas cautiously opened it, and they both entered.

An old man was sitting by a desk, drinking something from his tankard and nibbling some bread. Dila took a quick look around the room, and found many interesting things. Another map, a few books a display case with a golden dagger inside and…

"Is that a heart?"

- Kodlak. – Vilkas said. The old man turned to face them. He had two white eyes, and both his beard and his long hair were grey. – The woman the Jarl mentioned is here.

- Ah. Dila, isn`t it? – the old warrior said, standing up. – The Jarl speaks highly of you. I am Kodlak Whitemane, Harbinger of the Companions. Sit down, please.

Dila obeyed, and sat down by a chair next to Kodlak`s own. Vilkas leaned against a wall, arms crossed.

- Tell me, Dila. What do you know about battle?

- I… I don`t understand the question.

- Let me rephrase that. What is your favorite weapon?

- The bow.

Kodlak found that answer amusing, though Dila couldn`t see why.

- Of course, the bow. – he said, chuckling. – A difficult weapon to wield, elegant in design. But, tell me, if you run out of arrows, what are you going to do?

Dila thought the question over. Was that some kind of test?

- I sheath it and continue on my way. I have never missed a target.

- But what if you do?

The phrase made Dila remember the Spriggan trap, a few days ago. She had been powerless and she would have died if Siris hadn`t been there.

- I have my daggers to keep myself safe. – she said, unsheathing them. She put them in the table, and Kodlak took one of them in his hand. His tired eyes analyzed every inch of the Orcish knives, scrutinizing every curve on the green blades. He put it back on the table, smiling.

- Yes, you have those daggers. But do you know how to wield them?

- I think so…

- Then attack me.

Dila hesitated. Then she took one of her daggers and slashed at his face. The old man simply grabbed her hand without any effort. She picked the other one and tried lunging for his chest. He held her left hand as well. She was left without options. Kodlak twisted her wrists, and she released the daggers.

- You would be dead, right now.

She silently picked her daggers up, and absent-mindedly sheathed them.

- Vilkas, get the girl a sword. Judging by the arms, try a short one.

Vilkas nodded and went out of the room. Kodlak turned to her again and continued talking.

- Listen, in here, there is no Legion or Stormcloack. We have all agreed to plead our allegiance to one thing only: The Companions. But we do have a few racist people among us. Do expect a few bad eyes thrown in your direction.

- I have grown accustomed to that. – she lied, remembering what Siris had told her.

Kodlak merely noded and signaled at the door. Dila took the hint and left the room, leaving the man to his machinations. She walked halfway through the hall before being stopped by Vilkas again. This time, he was holding two swords, one shorter than the other. He tossed the small one to Dila.

- Let`s see how you fare with the sword. Follow me.

They went up the stairs, through the main hall and exited to a small circular training ground. Vilkas picked a shield up and readied himself.

- Hit me with all you got. I can take a few blows.

Dila eyed him silently. Then she took hold of the sword and pointed it at him.

She lunged forward fast, trying to balance the word in her hand. Vilkas parried the blow and sidestepped another clumsy swing. He chuckled at her attempt to keep her balance straight. She slowly wobbled back into a position she had seen Siris use once, keeping her sword arm behind her and an open palm in front of her.

- Copying him won`t work.

She tried to spin like Siris did, landing a hard blow on Vikas shield, but falling in the sand in the process. Vikas let out an unamused laugh, before saying something that let Dila boiling with rage:

- I thought that the cats could fight better. I guess they are only good at sneaking and drinking Skooma, then…

She got up and immediately swung at him, catching him off guard. He stumbled as the sword caught his shield with full force, before repositioning it in front of himself. Dila stabbed at the center of the shield, pushing him back. For a moment, Dila thought she was winning…

Right up until he withdrew the shield and his body from the sword`s way, letting Dila harmlessly fly by his side, before grabbing her extended arm and putting her in a painful arm lock. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound left her mouth.

- A tip from a friend: don`t get emotional in a fight. – he said, releasing her.

She readied her position again, but this time Vilkas went on the offensive. He bashed his shield against her sword, sending it flying. He hit her again, sending her rolling to the ground. He could hear the muffled voices of Vilkas and another woman:

- So, what do you think of her, Vilkas?

- Strong arms. She seems to have some spirit in her, Aela. Might be worth training. Doesn't know how to fight, though

- If she did… – the woman said, getting closer to her. Through her blackened vision, Dila could see that she had fiery red hair. – Siris wouldn`t have sent her.

Dila couldn`t remember anything else. All that followed was blackness…

00000

Siris had been walking for a day now. He was beginning to feel tired. He had covered a good part of the way to Windhelm, and the shift in temperature showed it. That cloak that Balgruuf had given him was worth it. The forest was home to many dangerous beasts, and he didn`t need to have icy scales slowing him down.

He was looking for a good place to set up camp. Even though he hated to admit it, he needed to stop soon, or else he wouldn`t be walking through the gates of Windhelm; he would be crawling through them.

"And the last thing I need is a bunch of Nords carrying me to the Jarl like some drunkard."

He had been looking for a god place for two hours now, and he had hoped that a traveler, like him, would have had set up camp nearby. He knew his luck, though.

"Heh. I shouldn`t complain of it. If it hadn`t been pure luck, I wouldn`t have met Dila in the middle of that storm."

He laughed at the thought. He remembered that he had been complaining to himself about leaving Riften in the middle of a storm. The next moment, he was helping the Khajiit that would become his lover bury her friends.

He stopped as he heard something. He checked his surroundings. The only thing he could see were the trees rising well above his head. Which always meant something was wrong. He slowly drew his sword.

- Who is there? – he said, not hoping for an answer.

Silence followed. Siris assumed a battle position, slowly starting to turn around. He heard a twig crack. Sloppy work

"Amateurs."

- Look, why don`t you come out. I promise I won`t kill you all. – he said. Promptly, a few whispers sounded in the woods. – I see I few of you actually have brains.

The whispers grew louder. Siris felt the urge to laugh, but he held it back. He knew that one false movement and he would be dead. He needed to keep himself calm and make the assailants nervous. He could take them in seconds if they attacked at once, but, not knowing where they were, he could be shot in the back. And he did not like being shot in the back.

- I surrender! – Siris turned to the direction in which the voice came. A lonely assassin was walking out of the trees, arms pointing upward. Siris grinned. He didn`t thought it would have been this easy. – I surrender! Please, don`t kill me…

- Lay on the ground, Altmer. I`ll deal with you later.

The Altmer threw his weapons on the ground. As he began to crouch, an arrow found it`s way to the Elf`s head, and he fell with a splash of red to the ground. Siris heard another arrow coming from behind him. He spun and swung his sword in a defensive ark, hitting the arrow and sending it to the side. Another assassin jumped from behind the bushes and charged at Siris, brandishing a shield and a sword. Siris quickly moved to intercept him. His blade swung, and the bandit tried to block.

Bad Move.

The Ebony Blade cut right through the weak wooden shield like it had been made of butter, still having enough momentum to bisect the man. Siris was impressed. He himself had never thought he would live to see the day he would have been able to cut a man cleanly in half. He only had gotten as far as disemboweling them.

He turned around, and, as he did, an arrow was shot at his thigh. He gritted his teeth in pain, eyes now bloodshot, looking for the shooter. Another bandit came charging at him. He parried a blow and brought his own blade to Siris`s chest. Siris jumped back, the blade grazing his chest. He spun back and slashed the bandit across the chest. As he did, some kind of red mist covered the blade. The wound on his thigh closed. Siris laughed. Balgruuf had mentioned something like this, but he had thought it was some kind of legend.

He spun, still looking for the archer. He could hear nothing now. The shooter had probably escaped while he was dispatching his friends. He slung the Ebony Blade back on it`s scabbard and crouched near the Altmer. He checked his pockets and finally found a letter, which read:

" I have news that the infamous Shadowscale Siris is coming to our city. Your orders are to ambush and kill him. I trust you know that he is an incredibly dangerous individual, and thus will not be taken down easily. Wait until he is tired.

If you bring me his head, there is a bonus waiting for you here, in Windhelm.

Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, High King of Skyrim."

- Bastard. – Siris cursed.

He stood up and restarted walking, thinking about the ambush.

"If he knew I was coming, then he must have an inside source." He though, stopping dead on his tracks. "Dila is in danger!"

He turned around and thought about running back to Whiterun. But he knew that if he did return to Whiterun, he would be ambushed again, and would endanger Dila`s life even more. He reluctantly began walking in the direction of Windhelm. He had to get there as soon as possible. For Dila`s sake, he needed to…

What he failed to notice was the other figure laying low on the bushes, watching him with a pair of stone silver eyes. As Siris walked away, the figure quickly stood up and moved away, toward a horse, and quickly made it`s way to the capital of Eastmarch with a smile on it`s face.

00000

Dila woke up, not wanting to stand up at all. Her body had been bruised badly from the two days of uninterrupted training and, although potions did help, they never could cure her completely.

She clumsily stepped out of her bed and put on her armor, which was looking worse than ever. She went down the stairs of the inn and stumbled her way to Jorvaskrr. Vilkas was waiting for her on the door. They went to the training area again.

Vilkas handed her a sword. She grabbed it from his hand and set up the basic sword position. Vilkas held out a sword for himself. They slowly started to circle each other.

- Good morning, Dila. – he finally said. – Ready to spar?

- Tell me yourself. I am getting the hang of this.

With these words, she attacked. Vilkas jumped to the side, and she quickly followed through with a stab. Vilkas parried it and went on attack her. She deflected a strong swing and attacked his hand, which he quickly withdrew. Vilkas pushed her with one hand. She stumbled back, but managed to get herself back into position. She held ot he sword. Vilkas had an impressed face on.

- I am surprised, Dila. You have made stark progress in these two days. Perhaps now you can defend yourself. Come at me again.

No sooner said than done. As the words left his mouth, she gave him an overhead strike that he was forced to block. She took advantage of that moment to quickly hit him with a punch. He groaned and fell to his kness, gasping for air.

- I yield! – he said, between bouts of breath, extending his hand.

Dila was breathing heavily. She had finally defeated Vilkas, one of the Companions best fighters, in single combat. She heard slow clapping come from the small balcony of the main building. She turned round to see Kodlak and Vilkas`s brother, Farkas, sitting down and laughing.

- So, Vilkas, you have been defeated by the girl, huh? – Kodlak said. Dila turned to Vilkas and offered a hand. He shrugged it off, still coughing, and brought himself up by himself.

Dila found his manners quite rude. She had defeated him, yes, but he didn`t need to treat her like that. She turned back to Kodlak. He stood up and said:

- Congratulations, Dila. We have nothing else to teach you. The rest of the sword fighting techniques can be learned either through experience… or through a much better teacher than all of us…

"Siris."

- Thank you, master. I will put these skills to good use. – she said, bowing. Then she took her leave.

She felt pride flood her veins. She had finally sharpened her swordsmanship skills. She would no longer have to depend on other. Siris would be relieved.

The thought of him made her worry. Siris said he would have been back in four days. Even though only three days had passed, she was worried about him. What if someone had poisoned him, or he got caught by bandits?

Dila didn`t notice she was being shadowed through her walks on the city. A lonely figure jumped across the yellow rooftops of the city, tailing her. Her orders had been to observe the Khajiit, learn what she was doing. She was getting impatient. She had had enough chances to kill Dila that, had they been used, would have slain an entire army. But she had been told to wait. And so she did…

00000

Siris walked across the rocky bridge. A few guards stopped to give him a sideway glance, wondering about what an Argonian was doing in their city.

Siris hated Windhelm with a passion. From the stone walls to the houses to the docks… especially those docks.

As he stepped through the wooden doors, he saw a Dunmer being harassed by a few Nords, which was a typical sight in that region of Skyrim.

- Why don`t we pay you a visit later? We have ways of making traitors talk… - he heard one of the Nords say. – And you don`t want to see them

- Leave the lady alone. – Siris said. The Nords turned toward him. – Now.

The Nord laughed at the statement. Then he got closer.

- And who are you, Argonian, to enter our town and tell us what to do?

- I am the one that is going to break your arm if you don`t do what I am saying.

The Nord tried to punch him. Siris dodged, grabbed his hadn and threw him on the ground. He pushed the Nord`s elbow until it snapped. The Nord screamed as Siris released it and it fell on the ground. Siris simply saw the other thugs scramble around, running through the alleys of the city.

- Are you okay? – he asked the Dunmer, who had watched the whole scene. – They didn`t hurt you, did they?

- No, I`m fine. Thank you, Argonian…

- My pleasure.

He turned around from the woman and continued to walk in the direction of the Jarl`s home, the Palace of Kings.

"This is going to be hard." He said, taking a deep breath and pushing the mighty doors open…


	11. An Old Acquaintance

Chapter 11:

Siris walked across the main room. The cold wind howled outside, and the snow fell relentlessly against the windows. The eyes of the room followed his every step as he positioned himself opposite of the Jarl`s throne and met the blue eyes of the rebel leader.

Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak was sitting in his chair, now looking directly at the face of the Argonian that challenged him. Siris stood there, for a few moments, before the Jarl recognized him.

- Siris… - Ulfric said, clenching his fist. – I thought I had told you not to ever step in Eastmarch again.

- I know, but I come in peace this time. – he said, before turning to someone that was standing by the Jarl`s throne. – Galmar, the cold of the north still blows fiercely inside of you, I see.

Galmar was wearing his typical armor, completed with the bear head that doubled as his helmet. Galmar stone cold gaze managed to turn even colder after Siris`s statement. Siris merely smiled to him, before turning to the other Nord near Ulfric. This one had a wound that hadn`t fully closed yet instead of a right eye.

- Torbjorn, would it be much of an insult if I said to you that I actually did a favor to your wife by adding that scar? You seem less ugly with it.

- How dare you… - the Nord said, putting a hand on his sword.

Much to his surprise, Ulfric stopped him. Torbjorn, unable to understand, slowly released the grip in his sword.

- He says he comes in peace, he will have peace. – the Jarl said, slowly turning to Siris. – What do you want? Haven`t you caused me enough trouble by destroying my docks?

- That is something you owe Torbjorn, not me. But I am here merely as a messenger.

Ulfric seemed confused, right before Siris took out the small war axe and threw it at Ulfric. It jammed itself almost a centimeter from the Jarl`s head, not earning a movement from him. Everyone else on the room drew their weapons. The Jarl calmly ordered them to sheath them. He knew that Siris didn`t have the intention of killing him, or else he wouldn`t have come in through the front door.

Ulfric turned to the axe, and saw that it`s handle was wrapped in blue tissue, with the image of a bear, sculptured out of marble, serving as it`s pommel. He instantly recognized it.

- My war axe. Balgruuf is supporting the Legion, then? – Ulfric said. Siris nodded, much to Jarl`s disappointment. – So, the war has truly begun. I had hoped he would have decided to support the Sons of Skyrim, but I see he prefers that Dunmer whore of his.

- I will be taking my leave, then. – Siris said, turning around to leave. – Torbjorn! – he said, with his back to the Jarl. The old Nord looked sharply at the Argonian. – The next time we meet, pray that you see me first… – Siris continued, beginning to walk to the door. – Because, if I see you first, you won`t be seeing anything ever again.

Torbjorn growled at the threat. As soon as Siris had left the palace through the heavy doors, a shadowy figure appeared from behind the Jarl`s throne. Ulfric removed his axe from the wood of his chair.

- Should I kill him, Ulfric? – the shadowy man said.

- No. Capture him. He could be a valuable asset. But do it outside the city gates.

- It shall be done. – he said, before disappearing once again.

00000

Siris was walking through the woods at a faster pace than normal. He had to put as much distance between himself and Windhelm as possible. And, besides, he wanted to get to Whiterun soon. He missed Dila, and four days without seeing a loved one could do horrible things to a man.

"This cold weather is killing me. It will be good to sleep next to something warm again…"

The next second, all thoughts exited his mind. He felt a sharp pain on his lower back, and all of his muscles became suddenly rigid. He fell on the ground face first, struggling to understand what had happened. As his vision began to darken, he could distinguish a few forms running around him. One of them had…

… a tail?

- Siris… - it said, with a grim voice, before chuckling. – I wished we would be meeting under better circumstances…

Siris recognized him. He would have recognized him anywhere. If his arms could move, he would have strangled him. With the last of his breath, he said:

- Razara…

After that, he fell cold into a dreamless sleep.

00000

Dila woke up suddenly. She had felt something strange. She was covered in sweat.

"Must`ve been a nightmare" she said, before standing up and putting on a robe. She walked to the window and opened it, letting the cold breeze of the night roll into the room. She had been getting nightmares regularly after the caravan had been ambushed, and now that Siris was gone, they were hitting her even harder.

Her fingers involuntarily curled around the amulet in her neck. Siris had been gone for four days now. He would be arriving shortly, if the Nine were kind enough. But she had the feeling that something had gone wrong. Oh, why did she have that feeling?

She went off to the bed again. She could barely wait for the tomorrow to come. She would see Siris again. He promised he would be back in four days. Where was he now? Was he sleeping? Was he hunting? Was he running toward the Whiterun, like she would have done?

She cradled herself in bed, but couldn`t sleep. She rolled in bed all night long, waiting for the sun to "wake" her up. Since she had completed her training, she had nothing to do the whole day. Usually, she would practice with the guards, near the barracks. She thought it was pointless, but she knew that they still considered her an outsider, and the less they saw her that way, the less probable it would be for her to receive a knife on the back.

After what felt like an eternity, the sun gently made it`s way to the sky. She quickly dressed herself and walked down the stairs. The innkeeper nodded at her, before retaking the boring task of cleaning the tankards. Dila stepped out of the inn and quickly ran up to Dragonsreach. She had anxiousness shinning on her eyes. Maybe Siris had arrived when she was still sleeping.

Instead, as she went up the stairs of the manor, she was greeted by a pale Balgruuf holding a letter. He lifted his head to see her, and handed her a letter.

Dila carefully took the letter, reading it`s contents looking for any news about Siris. She did get what she wanted.

But not what she expected.

She felt all strength leave her body as she slumped to her knees and began to cry.

Siris had been captured.

00000

A damp smell invaded his nostrils as he woke up. He tried to stretch his arms and legs, but felt that his arms were locked. He slowly opened his eyes. It was dark. His hands were tied and were being held above his head. His legs were tied by the ankles to the ground. His torso was naked.

He looked around. The cell they had put him in was small. Probably in the underground. He saw that there was hay in the corner, and figured it hadn`t been changed for a while. A dim light was coming from a lantern to the cell`s right side. He fidgeted with the shackles in his hand for a little while, rethinking how he had gotten there. He remembered walking out of Windhelm, of thinking about Dila, and of that sharp pain on the back, coupled with…

"Razara." He thought, growling.

Siris heard a door open and close, and footsteps closing in on his cell. He saw an Argonian walk in front of his cell, pull out a chair and sit in front of the bars, looking at Siris. He had a cowl on his face.

- Well, well. – he said, with his voice muffled by the cowl. – Look at what the wind has blown my way.

Siris couldn`t keep his face neutral. He unconsciously showed his teeth. The Argonian laughed at the display of anger.

- Oh, Siris! – he said. – Why don`t you show some happiness from seeing your old friend again?

He pulled the cowl down, showing his yellow scales and silver slit eyes. His brows had spikes, painted black. His horns were of a flawless white. There was no mistake. It was really him.

- What? Has the cat stolen your tongue? I know she already did that to your brain… and to the thing hanging between your legs…

Siris wanted to lunge at his throat. But the cuffs on his wrists were made out of iron, and all he could do was shake himself in the vain attempt of loosening himself.

- Calm down, Siris. You used to be a quiet lad, no need to change that now…

- What do you want, Razara? – Siris asked. – Wasn`t killing our king enough?

Razara laughed again. Then his face stood serious again.

- No. You lacked that ambition, Siris. We could go much higher than that!

- What do you mean? What else could be higher than leaving all of Argonia crumble into dust?

- Argonia is strong now, thanks to me. But I don`t want Argonia. I want more.

- You are insane, Razara.

Razara`s eyes became grave with the mention of insanity. Razara thought highly of himself. Siris knew how to get under his skin. Razara drew a dagger and started polishing it.

- I see that you have acquired the Ebony Blade, Siris. – he said, looking only at the dagger. – I fine weapon indeed. Not suitable for an assassin, though. But this… this is the prime of assassination tools. It is not only you that has allies in other planes, you know?

He held up the dagger, and Siris immediately recognized it. The legendary Mehrunes Razor. Fable said it could kill with the smallest of pricks. Razara put it back in it`s sheath.

- Why have you allied yourself to the Stromcloaks? They want nothing good for our people.

- They promised to give me two things I always wanted: one of them, Siris, is you.

- I feel flattered, but I don`t see why I would be necessary.

- Oh, that is just personal for me. What I really want, besides you suffering a horrible, painful death, is an army.

Siris was surprised by this. Razara could be anything, but he was no warmonger. The Shadowscales didn`t operate like that.

- Has our brotherhood fallen to that level under your lead? Now we resort to quantity, not quality?

Razara laughed again.

- This is turning out to be a really fun night, after all. No Siris, I want an army to destroy Elsweyr.

- What?

"He is insane."

- You heard me. I hate the Khajiit. I hate every single one of them. They say they are honorable and strong warriors, but they are just dirty beggars and Skooma dealers. – Razara said. Siris felt rage boil up inside him. - You know that the Shadowscales weren`t doing well when you left, Siris. You can`t imagine how we are doing now! And you know why? Because of the damn cats!

- How so?

- They have been stealing all our contracts. It`s been a few months since we don`t get a good kill. And you know we can`t eat our daggers.

Sirs had to chuckle at the joke.

- See, you get it! You know it`s true.

- I`m sorry, but I can`t allow that, Razara.

- Has that whore already done this to you? What would Krona think?

Siris anger finnaly burst and he screamed:

- Don`t you dare saying that of her again, scum! Dila is worth a thousand of you!

Razara laughed again. All that laughter was getting Siris`s nervous.

- Well… - Razara said, standing up. – Since you are going to stay there for a long time, you might as well catch up with the rest of us. After all, it`s been too long. – he then turned to someone standing outside of the cell. – He is all yours, Tar-Ma. Just don`t overdo it like you did last time. We need him alive.

"Tar-Ma? Oh, this is going to be really bad…"

As Razara walked out of the dungeon, a big, orange skinned Argonian opened the cell door and stepped in, closing it behind him. The Argonian`s red eyes fixed themselves on Siris.

- Tar-Ma. – Siris said, looking up to him. He had gained some more muscles since Siris had last met him. – How have you been?

His answer was a kick in the ribs. He gulped a yell of pain as he heard one of them snap.

- You are going to pay to what you did to my sister, traitor. – Tar-Ma said.

Siris sighed. He interrupted the sigh when he noticed it made his chest hurt like it was on fire.

- Krona attacked me first. – Siris said, sorrow in his voice. – I had no other option.

- Then you shouldn`t have left. – Tar-Ma said, with a stomp in Siris`s knee. Siris felt it was on the verge of dislocating. – Do you know how painful it is to bury your own sister, tha has been killed by one of your best friends and who supposedly loved her? - he was screaming now. Siris could feel that he had rehearsed those words. No one could say that naturally without bursting into tears. - You were like a brother to me, Siris. You were to be my sister`s husband! Instead, you turned your back to our family.

He kicked him in the ribs once again. This time, Siris released a gasp. He was using steel-toe boots.

- I will make you regret killing my sister

- No need for that. – Siris said, breathing heavily. – I already do that every single day of my life.

00000

"But how… how could he… how could they…"Dila tried to think, between sobs.

Siris was gone. Now, she felt more lost than ever before. Not even in Dune, where she had to fend for her life every day, she had felt so depressed. Not even when the caravan had been slaughtered, she had felt so useless. She wanted to lay down and die.

- Dila? – she heard Irileth say. – Come on, get up.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, which she promptly slapped away.

- Leave me alone! – she yelled.

- Dila, I know that you like Siris. We all do. He has been a dear friend to us all. But crying won`t help him, will it?

Dila shook her head, still crying. She hugged Irileth and buried her face into the Dumer`s shoulder. Irileth pated her head.

- Besides, he is going to make it. He always makes it.

- Thanks, Irileth. – she sobbed, trying to compose herself. She needed to keep herself calm.

- I`m sorry, Dila. – she heard Balgruuf say. – This is my fault. If I had send more people with him he wouldn`t be stuck in some cell, rotting.

Dila wanted to hit him. Hard. But she knew that that was only going to make things worse for the man. He was as distraught as Dila, if not more. He had just lost one of his best friends.

Dila stood up. The water in her green eyes had been substituted by flames, and she wanted to see the blood of her enemies on the blade of her sword.

- Balgruuf. – she said, coldly. – Send a messenger to General Tulius. This war is starting right now.

And thus, she left, fingers gripped tightly around her amulet. She was going to make Ulfric pay dearly for that. She wasn`t going to allow the Stormcloaks to take the only good thing of her life from her.

No matter how much it costed…

No matter how painful it would be…

She was going to get Siris back.


	12. The Escape

Chapter 12:

Razara could hear yells of pain emanating from behind the door. He smiled at the sounds of the traitor squirming. He had wanted to do that for a long time. To have Siris finally in his grasp made him feel an immeasurable amount of joy.

But, as much as he`d like to stay there and listen to Siris scream all night long, he had more important matters to attend. He hastily made his way to his own quarters. Even though he disliked Nords, he did cope with them. He needed to, or else he wouldn`t receive the army that Ulfric had promised him. But, to claim such army, he would have to help Ulfric in taking - or, as Ulfric so vehemently put it, "liberating" – Skyrim from the Empire.

He entered his room and sat by the desk. Picked a quill up and began to write and order. His "enforcer" in Whiterun needed orders. He smiled as he wrote two simple words:

"Kill her."

00000

Sirs cringed as another blow hit his chest. Tar-Ma had been there for about half an hour, and almost every second of it had been devoted to breaking the bones in Siris`s body.

By the time the larger Argonian left his cell, Siris had five ribs broken and four splintered, a broken wrist, a dislocated shoulder and knee, various bruises around his body, a swollen eye and, when he spit blood, a fang came with it.

"Damn!"Siris thought, body aching all over. "Razara is going to pay me dearly for this."

He looked at his cuffs again. The ones binding his wrists together and the shackles binding them to the wall were made out of iron, but the ones on his leg were made out of leather. Siris smiled, even if it did hurt.

Siris waited until there was only one guard in the cell block. Then he concentrated again.

"The Hist is strong."He thought, eyes closed. "The Hist guides me in times of peril. It is my mother, my guardian and my northern star. The Hist shall heal it`s son, so he can continue to spread the glory of Argonia through all of the known world."

His bones moved back into position and melded themselves, and his dislocated joints did the same with a sickening pop. His bruises healed, his eye returned to it`s normal size, and his mouth itched as another fang occupied the lost one`s place. He was fully healed.

He moved around as much as he could while bound that way. Even though all Argonians could call upon the Hist to heal their wounds, Siris was unusually good with the Histskin technique. There was only one person who could rival him in that power.

"Krona would have scolded me for taking so long. " he remembered, with a sad smile on his face. "She could heal so quickly it was unbelievable. And she didn`t even need to be standing still. It was almost impossible to kill her." His smile disappeared. "And, yet, somehow, I managed to do it"

He slowly moved his right foot back and forth, rubbing his leather pants on the binds at his ankles. Slowly, he could feel that it was beginning to loosen up. He quickly withdrew his leg, shredding it with his foot talon. He slashed the left ankle bind with his right foot`s talon, bursting it open.

"Now, for my marvelous escapade." He thought, flexing his legs up. He pulled his body up by his wrists and flipped himself. He touched the wall above the shackle joints with the tip of his feet, and pulled himself up higher. He rolled up the wall and managed to use his tail to equilibrate himself. Sweat trickled down his body. It was really hot in there, and the exercise wasn`t helping his body cool. He pulled his wrist locks with all his might. The cuffs were strong, but the ring keeping them locked in the wall was rusty. With a few pulls, it already showed signs of breaking. He pulled once again and the ring broke. The force of his pull made him backflip in midair and land on his feet silently, now free.

"Of this, Krona would have been jealous of…"

He hid in the darkest corner of the room and waited for a guard to pass by. He was getting out of there that night, no matter the cost. He had to get back to Whiterun quickly. He had to warn Dila of what was going on.

"I won`t let Razara lay his hands on her…"

00000

Dila was practicing her archery. It helped her forget about her problems. Just her, the bow and the target. It was late at night, and the stars were shining brightly above her head. She repeated the cyclic movement she had learned a long time ago: sight target, lower bow, reach arrow, load arrow, raise and ready bow, release fingers. Each of the three targets had their centers riddles with arrows. A bonfire was lit by her side, illuminating her "enemies". She had been doing that for quite some time now.

Suddenly an arrow came from nowhere and hit the central target in it`s border. She turned around, to see that Vilkas was standing behind her, a golden bow in his hand. He lowered it.

- You beat me in swordplay, and I`m sure I`ll never be able to surpass you in archery. – he said.

- Thank you, I guess. – she said, trying to be civil. It was clear that Vilkas wanted a conversation, and she had nothing better to do.

- I`m sorry for my behavior, earlier. I guess I was just frustrated. – Dila raised a brow at that. According to people inside Jorvaskrr itself, Vilkas wasn`t fond of two things: laughing and apologizing. He was getting strange. – I had never been t beaten by a woman. Not even Aela has beaten me.

- Everything has a first time, right? – she said, smiling, one which Vilkas, much to Dila`s shock, responded.

- Yes. I guess you are right.

They stood there, not knowing what to do. Then Vilkas suddenly approached her, closing his eyes. Dila extended her hand and stopped him. He opened his eyes, surprised.

- What do you think you are doing? – she asked.

- I… well, I… I….

- Don`t try that again, please. – she said, before turning back at the targets and drawing her bow once more.

Vilkas begrudgingly turned around and left, not before kicking a large amount of sand in the bonfire.

"Like that is going to stop me…"Dila thought.

Her pupils became slit, and, in seconds, she could see clearly. Khajiit`s had always had better night vision than anyone in Tamriel, and Dila had become an efficient archer in any situation because of it.

She readied another arrow, but this time, she didn`t aim it at the center. She let it fly, splitting Vilkas arrow in two perfect halfs. She chuckled to herself. She had never had the chance to try that trick. Siris would have been surprised. Even though he had told her he had had training in archery from his time as a Shadowscale, she had never seen him wield a bow. She was going to suggest it to him when they reunited…

"If we reunited…" she thought, feeling sadness creep in. She shook her head. "What am I thinking, of course we are going to be together again."

The bonfire became lit, and her eyes hurt with the change of lighting. Her pupils rounded up again, and she turned t see a couple of hold guards. There was a mage with them. The mage had probably lit the bonfire with the flames he held on his hand. They all looked like they were tired.

- Who are you? – the mage said.

- I am Dila, Auxilliary of the Imperial Legion and friend of the Jarl.

- And what are you doing here?

- I was practicing my skils with the bow and arrow. The war is coming, and it never hurts to practice. – she said, before smiling and continuing – Besides, I`ve got nothing else to do and I couldn`t sleep.

- I am Farengar, the private mage of the Jarl. It is a pleasure to meet you, Dila. The Jarl had already spoken of you in one of his letters.

Dila stood there, confused. That mage had a hood covering his face, but he seemed to be a Bosmer.

"Balgruuf`s seems to have one friend in every nation of Tamriel. I wouldn`t be surprised if an Orc casually strolled by Dragonsreach and took a sweetroll from my plate."

- What has he said? – she asked, now curious.

- He said that Siris brought you, and that you are the best archer he has ever known.

Dila blushed and giggled. Then, Farengar noticed the arrows in the targets.

- And he wasn`t kidding, I guess. Let`s go inside. I just arrived from Winterhold. I am tired and in the need of my bed…

Dila nodded and they went inside. In the way, she asked:

- But, Farengar, what have you been doing in Winterhold?

- It is where the Mages College is located. You never heard of it?

- No. I am… relatively new to this land. I can barely walk without someone asking me if I have seen something. Siris used to guide me, but now…

- Used to? What happened to him?

- The Jarl didn`t tell you? Go ask him. I can`t talk about it if he doesn`t give me permission to do so.

She stopped and turned around, ready to go down the stairs. The guards opened passage for her.

- You are not coming? – he asked.

- No, I don`t live in the palace. I have a room in the Bannered Mare. I will return there. I`m getting tired.

- All right. See you in the morning, then.

The guards let her through, and she quickly walked to the inn. Balgruuf had sent the message that evening, and now there was nothing Dila could do beside sitting down and waiting. When she entered her room, she noticed how tired she really was. She slumped to the bed, took of her armor and threw herself into the sheets. The air was begging to get cold, so the manager had put a few extra blankets for her. She made herself comfortable, and slowly dozed off into sleep…

The blur waiting on the other rooftop was waiting. A new raven was going to arrive shortly, and it was finally going to bring the orders it had been waiting for so long. It licked it`s lips. The city was going to get very interesting really soon…

00000

After one hour, a guard passed in front of Siris`s door. He turned to see the prisoner, only to find out that there was no longer a prisoner. He quickly drew his key from his pocket and opened the lock. He approached the spot where Siris had been, only to find two torn pieces of leather and the remnants of an iron ring lying on the ground. He had to warn Razara about that. Siris running loose could be fatal to everyone in the fort.

He turned his back to the wall. His last mistake.

Siris jumped down from the ceiling and the guard turned toward him. Siris put the chains of his cuffs in the guard`s neck and flipped over him. He landed behind the guard, who was now being strangled with the chain. The guard tried to remove Siris`s hands from his neck, but Siris bent over forward, lifting the guard from the ground. He then proceeded to pull his hands quickly, breaking the guard`s neck silently. Feeling no more reaction from the corpse in his back, Siris let him slid off of his back.

"Quantity over quality…"

Unfortunately, the now dead guard didn`t have the keys to his cuffs, but he did have some dried meat in his pocket, along with a key to his cell door. Siris was starving, so he ate the meat and opened the cell door. He looked up and down the hallway and, seeing nobody else, ran up the stairs. His stealth training did come in handy. The fort he was in was crawling with Shadowscales and soldiers alike, and he would have been dead if he had been heard.

Silently, he made his way to the other room of the dungeon. Two guards were there, discussing what had happened with the dragons.

So, you know what happened with the Dovahkiin?

I dunno. He probably settled down in some village and is now telling his stories in an inn, sitting on a pile of gold…

Actually, he is in High Hrothgar. – Siris said.

The two guards looked toward the door and they saw Siris, they stood there for a moment, confused, before unsheathing their weapons. One of them had a sword and a shield, and the other had a warhammer. Siris dodged a blow from the hammer and wrapped the chains on his wrist to entangle the hands of it`s owner. The other guard attacked, and Siris blocked with the hammer in the other man`s hands before kicking the sword out of the guard`s grasp. Siris flipped the hammer wielding thug over his shoulder while the other man grabbed a dagger from the table. Siris slid his cuffs chain up the hammer hilt and made it impact with the dagger. The dagger was made out of Dwenmer Metal, and it cut through the chains like butter. Siris disarmed the man wielding the hammer and , with a swift movement, brought it on the other man`s ear. His brains jumped through the other side. Siris raised the hammer and smashed it at the face of the guard at his feet.

"Messy… but effective. Now, to find my equipment." He thought, curling his fingers and moving his pained wrists.

He opened a chest, and smiled. All of his equipment was there, including his blade. He quickly put his clothes, dressed his cloak and picked his sword up.

"Miss me?" he thought, not sure if the Ebony Blade had heard. "Time to break out."

He went up the stairs again, only to find a couple guards waiting for him. He could see Tar-Ma and a few of his old companions in the group. He quickly bolted up another flight of stairs, with pursuers running after him. A few windows passed by him while he ran. He took a deep breath and jumped through one of them. Time seemed to slow down as he shattered the glass, and he didn`t dare opening his eyes, hoping he wouldn't be too far from the ground. He couldn`t even risk a broken leg. To his luck, as he opened his eyes, he could that he was falling in a river that was running below. He assumed diving position and plummeted into the river, barely making a splash.

He swam with the current for what he calculated to be an hour before stepping out of the body of water. He saw that it was still night. He looked at the stars. He recognized the sky. If he was right…

"I am in the Whiterun hold already." He thought, with a smile. He turned to the direction of the city and began walking. "If I put my back into it, I can see Dila today. Come on, just a few more hours."

In three hours, he was entering the prairie. He could see Whiterun really far in the distance. He smiled. The sun was beginning to shine from behind the mountains. He quickened his pace.

He then heard a crow fly over him. Crows didn`t usually flew at night. Something was off.

" I have a bad feeling about this…" he thought, running behind the bird.

00000

Dila was woken up by a sudden noise downstairs. Someone had entered the inn. No, not someone. It seemed like a group. There were far too many footsteps to be just one person. She put her ear on the door.

- … Khajiit? Where is her. – she heard.

- U… ups…upstairs, Eorlund… please… I have children.

- So do I. – he said, and Dila could hear a muffled scream.

She quickly put on her armor and got her bow. She lifted the window and jumped to the next ceiling.

"Grey-Manes." She said, looking toward the bar`s entrance. She readied an arrow. Her eyes adapted, and she could see that there were five or six standing by the entrance. It was pitch black, and if she could manage to keep moving, she could kill them all without a sweat.

But something jumped on top of her. She rolled down the roof, struggling with whatever it was. They fell from the house and landed on a few crates. She grabbed her side. She had fallen into something sharp, and it had cut through he armor. She saw the thing that had jumped on her come walking calmly toward her. It had a definitely female silhouette. Something hung behind her, though. She was wearing a hood. She kneeled beside Dila, and Dila saw that her eyes were of a reddish yellow. She crouched near the fallen Khajiit and put her index finger on top of her jugular.

- Still alive… - she said, with an almost monotone voice. She then chuckled. – You are resilient, Khajiit. Not many would have survived that fall, much less if they had fallen on the edge of their own dagger.

Dila saw her remove her hood. She was an Argonian, probably at the same age as Dila. She had tow curved horns, and her skin was orange. She was clad in what seemed like a tight leather armor. Dila had already heard of an Argonian with similar features, but she couldn`t recall where.

- Don`t know me? Has Siris already forgotten me?

Dila`s eyes shot open. No. It couldn`t be…

She gagged with her words. It was too far-fetched, but it could be. She knew of Siris, and her description matched.

- Krona?..

The Argonian laughed out loud, with a laugh that could only mean one thing.

"Yes"

And Dila had never felt so afraid her entire life…

* * *

_**PLEASE, JUST HEAR ME OUT! DON`T FLAME ME YET!**_

_**I know it sounds far-fetched, but please give me a chance! I will explain everything in the next chapter.**_

_**Oh, while I am at it, big shout out to Noodle12, my most faithfull reader. Thank you very much, Noodle. You win TWO Internets and a big party cake! Siris cooked it himself, so don`t worry if it does taste stale...**_

_**Eddy out.**_


	13. The Dead Rise

_**Finnaly, I get some explanations straight.**  
_

_**Also, regarding the comment made by Baeowulf, I try to come up with at least one chapter per day, but I could only keep that pace steady because I had one huge ass holiday and had nothing to do all day. So now that I`m back to that dreaded place called school, I think I will be able to keep up with a chapter every other two days, but that is just a projection.**_

_**Thanks for hearing me out.**_

**_Also, mature content on this chapter. Be warned._**

* * *

Chapter 13:

- But you were dead…

Krona – or the being that called itself Krona – took out her own dagger. It was black with elegant silver engravings on the side of the blade.

- Being dead is an absolute state. I was dead, therefore I am dead. But that is not my point. – she said, approaching the dangerously sharp dagger to Dila`s neck. Dila tried to crawl away, but the wound on her sidemade her stop and cringe as a lacerating pain ran through her body. – Trying to cower away, huh? Hehehe…

Krona grabbed her fringe. Dila felt a dagger touch her throat. She reached for the daggers in her belt and grabbed one of them, turning and slashing at the face of the assassin. Krona dodged it, buts she had to release her grip on Dila.

Dila slashed again, the blade narrowly missing the Argonian`s neck. Dila saw that she was wearing a small necklace, but she quickly forgot about it as she dodged a jab.

She put the Argonian in an arm lock. Krona smiled, a gesture Dila did not understand. Then, Krona`s arm bent and grabbed Dila`s collar, before twisting her around and throwing her into the wall. Dila was surprised. Had her elbow just … dislodged itself?

- Of course, being a corpse has it`s benefits… - Krona said, twisting her own arm and making it do a full circle.

Dila could not hold back her disgust from the morbid display. She doubled over, fighting against the urge to vomit and against the sensation of fear and disgust mixing on her stomach. Krona laughed at the Khajiit that was now kneeling by her feet.

- Now… - she said, grabbing the Khajiit`s chin and making her look at her. Her eyes were wet with tears. She gently put the dagger on her neck. – It`s time I end your life, cat. I hope you had a good time with Siris, but don`t worry. He will be next.

Before she could slit her throat, though, she heard steps nearby. She looked to the side and suddenly jumped up to the house`s roof. Dila fell down on the ground, whimpering. She saw someone approaching her, almost running and the skidding to her side on his knees. She closed her eyes and felt that the man was carrying her. Her hands gently brushed the man`s arms.

Scales.

"Siris…" she thought, before blacking out.

00000

Siris came in bursting through the doors of the Jarl`s manor, holding the now unconscious Dila in his arms. The Jarl was talking to someone in a mage`s outfit. His gaze lifted up to him as he ran through the hall.

- Balgruuf! – he shouted. – Dila needs medical treatment, urgently!

- What happened?

- I don`t know! I found her in an alley, bleeding.

- Let me help her, Siris.

Siris turned around, fangs bare, only to see that it was Farengar standing in the mage`s robe. Siris sighed with relief. Although he wasn`t any master with Restoration spells, Siris would have died countless times had Farengar not healed him. Farengar threw some candles and plates away and signaled him to put Dila on top of the table. He did so, and Farengar started rubbing his palms. Golden light formed between them.

- Come on, Farengar! – Sirs rushed, skiping from one foot to the other like a nervous child. – She can`t die here!

He could see that the gash on her side was pretty big, but he had been through worse and come out unscathed, but still

- Don`t worry… - Farengar said, putting both of his hands on both sides of the wound. – She won`t.

True to word, a flash of yellow light enveloped the wound, and it began closing. Siris almost crumbled to the ground, glad that Dila was out of danger. Her breathing had stabilized, and her color was beginning to return to her face.

- She needs some rest. Let`s get her back to the inn.

- No! Not the inn. – Siris said, cradling her in his arms. – There were Grey-Manes on the inn. I killed a few of them and the rest bolted. They had killed the inn keeper. It is best if she stays here.

The Jarl nodded, and the guards took Dila to one of the now empty guest rooms. Siris watched them until they turned through the door, than sat down in one of the chairs. Balgruuf followed.

- What happened Siris?

- I got captured. A few old problems appeared.

- That guy from the Shadowscales you told me about?

- Razara. Yes, exactly him. – he said, his voice dripping aggression. – I will make him pay for doing that to me…

- But what exactly happened? Was it Ulfric who sent him or was he acting on his own?

Siris stood up and, almost immediately, nearly fell down on the floor, not doing so only because of his reflexes. He quickly grabbed the side of the table, managing to stand up, although dizzily.

- Siris, are you allright? – the Jarl said, quickly walking up to him.

- I… - he said, putting a hand on his forehead. – I wasted to much energy today.

- You should rest. Come, there is a vacant room. You can lie down and tell us the details in the morning.

Siris shot out a hand. He saw that the guards had already left Dila`s room.

- With all due respect, Balgruuf… - he said, as best as he could. – I would prefer to watch over her tonight, in case she needs something.

Balgruuf nodded, before slapping him on the shouder, an act that almost sent him sprawling through the floor. He smiled, though.

- It`s good to have you back, Siris.

- It`s good to be back. I`ll see you in the morning.

Siris limped his way to the small room by the side of the alchemy table. Dila was sleeping soundly on the bed. He closed the door, pulled a chair and sat down by her side. He ran a head through her neck and patted her head. She purred at his touch. He slumped back in the chair, stayed awake perhaps for a minute or two, and fell asleep like a rock.

00000

Dila slowly opened her eyes. The sun was high in the sky, for a change. She smacked her lips and stretched. She grasped her side, and noticed that there was a gash in her armor, but no wound in her body. She found it strange. When had she entered a fight?

She shot up from the bed. She had been attacked by none other than Krona, the assassin that Siris had guaranteed he had killed. And where was Siris?

She hastily got out of the bed and slammed the door open. She saw Balgruuf in the table, talking to three people. One of them was Irileth, and the other was that nice Bosmer she had met the day before, Farengar.

The other one stood up when he heard the door opening, and turned to face her. She almost jumped of joy.

- Siris! – she screamed, running toward him. He opened his arms and they hugged tightly. – I missed you so much!

- So did I, Dila…

- Dila, it is good that you are awake. – Balgruuf said, standing up. Siris released her. – Siris was almost finishing to tell us how he escaped the jaws of death yet again.

Siris laughed. Gods, she had missed that sound. He was still wearing the same clothes of when she had last seen him.

- It`s not so dramatic, really. – he said, sitting down again. – All I did was kill a few guards, while handcuffed, may I add, and jumped from a tower head-first into a river.

They all laughed at that. Dila sat down and picked up an apple. It crunched when she bit into it.

- And after that, what did you do?

- I ran to Whiterun, and after that, I found Lady Trouble here, doubled over in some alley, with a gash on her flank. She just can`t stay out of trouble, can she?

She playfully smacked him on the shoulder. Balgruuf inquired:

- And what were you doing there, exactly? - he asked Dila.

Dila`s playful attitude ceased, and she quickly thought of an answer that didn`t involve the supposedly dead assassin. She had to tell that to Siris first, before she could tell anyone else.

"As if he is going to believe me anyway."

- I fell from the roof. – she said, which was half truth. – and I fell on my dagger.

Balgruuf eyed her with a seemingly suspicious look, before chuckling and getting up. He walked through his throne and picked up a letter. Then he headed to the door, and Irileth and Farengar followed him. Dila was confused.

- Where are you going? – she asked.

- I need to go take care of some issues on the temple. – Farengar said.

- And the General sent a Legate to Whiterun. He has set camp about one hour from Whiterun. So, it`ll take me at least until the sun has set down to get back. And… - Balgruuf said, pointing to Irileth. – I am taking my housecarl with me.

She bowed to him, almost submissively. She then turned to Dila and Siris and said:

- Proventus will take care of business. Your room in the Bannered Mare is still there. You are both relieved of any duties you would have today. Take your day slowly, you two.

With that, they left through the door. Dila and Siris were left alone in the middle of the room. Dila lunged at Siris when the door closed. They kissed, trying to make up for lost time.

"Gods, I missed this."

They stood there, locked in the kiss for a few minutes. Then, Siris took her by her hand and guided her through the door. They strolled to the Bannered Mare, and took the flight of stairs to their room. There weren`t many people on the inn, except the new innkeeper.

Siris opened the door to the room, and they both entered. While Siris locked the door behind them, she took a few steps into the room. The window was still open. She closed it and lazily threw the curtains over the window. Before she could turn, Siris embraced from behind. She wasn`t expecting that, but the surprise was welcome. She closed her eyes and turned to him.

- How have you been, Dila?

- I managed… - she said, resting her head in his chest. – But this room gets lonely without you around.

- I can see that. You sound like you spent a few nights dreaming about me

- Gods, Siris… - she mewled, rising her hands to his neck. – You don`t need to say anything anymore. I am already yours…

She extended her claws and cut a small leather strap on the cloak. It fell on the ground, leaving Siris only with his usual coat.

- So shut up and kiss me.

He did so. She put her hands on his chest and quickly unbuttoned his vest. He took it off, exposing his chest. Their kiss grew more passionate, their tongues dancing in their mouths. She threw him in the bed. He was surprised by Dila, that cute little cat, doing that. As he sat on the edge of the bed, she took a confident step toward him and, before he realized, she straddled his hips.

- You are not going anywhere, Siris. – she said, voice reduced to a husky whisper.

- Wasn`t planning to…

00000

Siris rolled from her top. They were both sweating and huffing. Siris extended his arms to Dila, and she quickly fell into a loving embrace. As her breathing slowed down, he could see that she was smiling widely, white fangs beaming with joy. He hugged her close, and she purred. He loved to hear that sound. Her tail was slowly swinging right and left. Siris took it in his hands and played with it a little. Dila laughed.

- No fun. I can`t hold yours. – she said, slowly moving her hand through his back and trying to lift his tail, to emphasize her point. He chuckled at her attempts. – See?

He kissed her forehead. She stopped her attempts and looked at him, face now serious. She touched his cheek.

- Promise you won`t leave me again. – she said.

- I promise, dear.

- The whole time you were out, I was thinking about you. You made me worry. – she continued. – I kept thinking that you were hurt, or that you had been imprisoned by the Jarl, or…

She was beginning to cry. Siris held her tightly. She swallowed her tears.

- I was worried about you too. And I think I was right. – he said, breaking the comforting embrace. He had to talk to her about what he had seen the past night. – Dila, what happened last night?

- I fell from the roof. I told you already.

- Dila, that might have fooled Balgruuf... – he said, with a cocky smile on his face. – But I know that you wouldn`t simply fall from the roof. You are a Khajiit! You never fall.

She sighed. Siris found that strange. What was she hiding? His face became serious.

- Dila, what happened?

- I was attacked.

- By whom?

She paused, weighting her words.

- Krona.

Siris looked at her like if she was crazy. Krona was dead. He himself had killed her. He had pierced her heart with his sword. He had left her body there, for the other members of the Shadowscales to give her a proper funeral.

- But I… - he said, baffled.

- Killed her, yes. But she came back.

Siris sat up. Krona was alive? What had happened?

"What did I miss?"

He felt Dila come up behind him. She placed her hand across his back and on his shoulder. Siris felt something he couldn`t identify was growing inside of him. Was it anger at Dila, for not telling him what had truly happened? Or was it happiness that, after all those years, trying to cope with Krona`s death, he discovered that she was alive?

"No, that is not possible. I checked her pulse myself."

- Siris, you are crying. – he heard Dila say.

He wiped his hand across his eyes. It was true. He had been tearing up.

- Sorry. It`s just that I… - he began, but Dila put a finger on his mouth.

She withdrew the finger and kissed him again, slowly pulling him back to the bed.

- Don`t worry… - she said. – We will figure out what to do later. Right now, just know that, whatever happens, I still love you.

He nodded. Then he smiled and went down under the covers. She was about to ask what he was doing, until a wave of pleasure spread through her body! She gasped, and was quick to silence herself, letting Siris continue the task at hand…

00000

They were reunited by the dinning table. Farengar and Balgruuf had returned, and Siris had told them what had happened. Farengar had afew thoughts on the subject.

Farengar had gone to pick up a few scrolls on his lab, and he came back with a few soul gems and rolls of paper. He dropped them on the table. He opened a big scroll, and inside it where various drawings of bodies and ancient writings.

- Now… – Farengar began. – Every living body has a soul. Basically, it is what let`s us mages use our spells. Souls are also that which keeps us locked to this plane of existence. Usually, when we die, the soul of the deceased passes on to another plane. Souls of lesser creatures, however… - he said, picking up a soul gem. – Can be captured using a Soul Gem, which powers enchantments and staves. Usually, only animals and non-sentient beings soul`s can be sealed on a soul gem, or soul trapped.

He picked a small soul gem from his pocket. This one had one of it`s halves colored black, setting it apart from the others on the table.

- Unless you are using one of these. A Black Soul Gem is special, in which it can capture the soul of any creature, including the souls of Men, Mer and Beast people. – he looked at Siris and Dila. – No offense.

- None taken. What are you trying to get at?

- A corpse can supposedly be reanimated if a necromancy ritual is performed the right way. But that would require a large amount of souls, because, if that is not the case, the corpse disintegrates or becomes a mindless shell. In Dila`s description, her assailant seemed to have enough knowledge to know it was even dead. That would require an enormous amount of Black Soul Gems, which are quite rare.

They all stood silent for a second. Balgruuf then spoke.

- Perhaps not many, just one…

- Nonsense, Balgruuf. Each Soul Gem, black or otherwise, can only be used once. It breaks afterwards.

- I know of one that doesn`t. – he said, looking up to Siris. Siris seemed to immediately understood what he meant.

- Do you think he might…

- It is the only explanation. – he then turned to Dila. – Dila, was krona using any kind of jewel?

Dila thought for a moment. She faintly remembered that, when the Argonian had dodged a blow, a small necklace had made itself visible.

- Now that I think of it, yes, a necklace. Why?

Balgruuf looked back at Siris and they both said at the same time:

- The Black Star.

- What?

- One of the two Daedric Artifacts the Dragonborn held. The Black star is said to be an "infinite Soul Gem" that can house both black and white souls and still be usable after being discharged. It combined well with his other Artifact.

- We don`t need to mention that one. – Siris rapidly cut in.

- But how is Razara keeping Krona connected to the Star? – Irileth asked. – The Star can`t be used as an adornment. It`s way too big.

- The Dragonborn solved that too. He cut a small chunck of the Star and managed to turn it into a necklace, which connected the star directily to him. But I thought he had taken it to High Hrothgar when he finished his business with Alduin…

- You don`t know Razrara like I do, Balgruuf. – Siris said, grimly. – The only question that matters is why would he want to resurrect one single soldier when he could focus his attention on… something else?..

He seemed awfully vague with that comment. Dila looked at him. He hadn`t explained to her who that Razara figure was, neither what was his plan. Something was terribly off.

As she was about to ask him, an Imperial soldier came running through the door. He stopped by the Jarl to talk to him.

- What is it, my man? – the Jarl asked.

- It`s the Stormcloaks, sir. They have been spotted on the other end of the prairie. They are here sir. The war is about to begin!

Without further a due, Siris and Dila ran outside the manor to grab their weapons, while Balgruuf went to the barracks to warn the soldiers.

Dila trembled with excitement and expectation. The war she had been waiting was about to begin. And she was going to get her revenge for her friends… and for Siris as well.

She was ready.


	14. Dawn of War

Chapter 14:

Siris and Dila were quick to get their weapons and go to the front walls, where the Legate was. He was ordering other soldiers around when he saw the pair come up behind him.

- You must be the two Auxiliaries the Jarl told me about. – he said, as Dila and Siris straightened their posture. – From what I have heard, you two are going to be really welcome additions to our army. Now, to your posts. Siris, you are staying in the frontlines. You will repel the Stormcloaks along the rest of our soldiers. Dila, you will be staying in the back, with the archers on top of the city walls.

Dila looked at Siris. He knew that she felt they were being separated again. But this time, it was at least an understandable decision. Even with all her newly acquired skills with the sword, she was going to fare better with a bow and arrow, and they both knew that.

The Legate went to give orders to other soldiers. Siris turned to Dila.

- So, I guess I will see you after the battle…

She didn`t respond, but she did kiss him.

- You better.

With that, she went to the wall, to prepare herself, while Siris went outside the town, to go join the ranks of the Legion`s frontal assault. A few looked towards him when he entered.

- Who are you? – the highest ranking officer asked him.

- I am Siris, Auxiliary, sir!

He grufed. Siris took his place in the lines. The Stormcloaks were yelling and hitting their sword with their shields, eager to do battle. Siris wondered how they had get to Whiterun so quickly. Perhaps they had been in motion ever since he had been captured.

Siris drew his sword. A few soldiers looked at the black blade and shivered. Perhaps they had felt the eerie nature of the sword emanating from it`s razor sharp edge. Siris didn`t have time to ask. He couldn`t spot Razara among their ranks. If he was there, he would probably in the background and strike when the battle was almost decided.

"I`ll make sure he doesn`t harm anyone else" he promised silently.

A General made himself visible on the Stormcloak side. He raised a battleaxe and released a mighty roar, which was reciprocated by the rest of his soldiers. Then they charged.

Time seemed to slow down. Siris could feel his own muscles tensing. He was anxious to kill someone. It could have been the sword controlling him, but he didn`t care. He wanted to see blood run.

The soldiers of the Legion remained on their positions while the Stormcloaks ran blindly toward them. Suddenly, a hail of arrows fell on top of the Nord warriors. Siris smiled. Dila was probably enjoying the way things were turning out.

As the survivors approached, Siris made his own sword sing it`s deadly song. It slashed through many men in a single sweep. The balance of the sword was perfect, and he was able to attack with a grace he never could with his old sword. He felt… joy.

"Beginning to like my blade after all?" he heard Mephala say. Oh yes, he was enjoying it.

He didn`t answer her. He just kept on reaping the lives of more people.

The battle was messy. It was a giant melee, with friend and foe only distinguishable by the color of their uniform. Siris was a master in the art of combat, though: he knew exactly when to stop an attack that would have shred an ally and exactly where to strike to stop an enemy from landing a surprise attack on one of the soldiers of the Legion.

He was doing exceptionally well.

Until he turned to stab someone and her face seemed familiar…

- Siris… miss me? – she said, with the sword piercing her stomach. Again.

Right up until then, Siris hadn`t really believed Dila. He thought it might have been another assassin who simply looked like his old lover. But now, hearing her voice, seeing her eyes once again, he knew it could have been no one else.

Krona was standing right in front of him, seemingly not minding his Ebony Blade running through her body. She actually took a step towards Siris, impaling herself even further in the blade. Siris was too awestruck to say anything. Krona ran her finger through his face. Her fingers were cold.

- I had forgotten how cute you looked when you were surprised.

Siris touched her hand. Her amber eyes were locked on his.

- He didn`t even notice the dagger she had swiftly drawn impale itself in his side.

He quickly drew his sword out of her body, stepping out of the dagger`s dark blade. He felt his knees weaken and he looked to her. She smiled and pointed to her stomach. Siris followed her finger and, to his shock, he saw that she was already cured.

He then saw an arrow lodge itself on her head.

00000

"Stay away from him"

Dila lowered her bow. Krona turned her head and looked at her. Even from a distance, the two Argonians stood out like a sore thumb. Especially when one of them had a pitch-black curved sword. Krona took a step toward the wall, yanking the arrow out of her head. Siris stood up, coughing, and slashed at Krona. His sword grazed her forearm, and a bloody red mist encircled it, before rushing to Siris`s flank.

Krona turned to him, and Dila saw that her forearm was melding itself. It was even quicker then Siris`s Histskin. She fired another arrow. It hit her in the chest. Siris slashed at her, but she jumped away. Siris followed her with his sword slashing. Dila changed her focus to the soldiers surrounding them. She kept firing her steel arrows, but she was afraid her arrows would be running out soon. There were still too many soldiers to force them to retreat. Soon, they would enter the city, and the meek defenses inside the city wouldn`t hold them for long.

From afar, she could see that Krona had disappeared again, and that Siris kept swinging at foes, but now with a ferocity she hadn`t seen before. In battle, Siris was usually calm and concentrated. But now, his movements were filled with rage. Dila didn`t know what had happened. Siris calculated movements were almost gone. He missed friends merely by luck. He was striking blindly at anyone. Dila was worried. Any moment now, he might hit a general, and he might not be that happy afterwards

Dila jumped from the wall into the fray, picking up a sword when she reached the ground. She looked for Siris in the middle of the battle that was going one. From what her eyes could tell, the Legion was winning: there were many Legion soldiers against fewer Stormcloaks, and the number of soldiers on the "Liberators" side was diminishing. She still couldn`t hear Siris in the middle of the battle, but she could smell him. His scent was still strong on her nostrils, but it wasn`t the same as the one she had gotten accostumated to: it was way more feral, more primitive.

Eventually, she found him. He was spinning his sword at random, with no enemies around him. The Legion soldiers were watching from a safe distance, nearly avoiding the fatal slashes of his cursed sword. Siris`s eyes were spread wide, and his muscles were all but tensed.

- Siris! – she screamed, not sure if he could understand her. – Stop!

She took a step forward. She ducked under one of Siris`s crazed strikes, trying to get to him. As she brought herself up again, he slashed one more time. Dila was going to block the attack, but she stopped once her sword had almost got cut in half. Siris saw this, and stopped his movements. He shook his head in confusion, then looked back at Dila.

- What happened?

- I don`t know! – he said. – All I remember is someone sticking a dagger in my kidneys.

Dila thought for a second, but was promptly interrupted by a Stormcloak soldier wielding an axe charging toward her. She gracefully sidestepped out of the way, parrying the blow she had been about to receive, before sticking her sword in the Nord`s back. Siris looked impressed.

Kodlak trained you well…

She nodded in response, only to keep herself focused on the ongoing battle. Krona had dissapeared in the mass of soldiers and chaos that unfolded in front of them. She and Siris working on perfect harmony, stabbing and slicing almost like two perfectly synchronized acrobats, flowing like water and killing like fire.

The Stormcloaks were beginning to panic, as their numbers dimmed dangerously low. A trumpet sounded, and the few Stormcloaks that Dila could see began retreating. A few of them threw their weapons down on the ground, holding their arms towards the sky. Dila saw the soldiers running up the hills. She dropped the sword and picked her bow. She only had one arrow left. She readied it and took aim. She let it fly and, as it described a perfect ark, it fell on the general`s back, knocking him to the ground, dead.

- Good shot. – she heard Siris say, by her side. His clothes and his sword were stained with blood.

- Thank you.

The soldiers were celebrating the first victory of the Legion, raising their weapons to the heavens, shouting incoherencies. Siris and her just took to sitting in the ground, a little further into the prairie. She leaned on him, and they observed the evening sky. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer.

- We won. – he finally said, after a few minutes of silent contemplation.

- I think so. – she said. – But why do I have the feeling that this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better?

He didn`t answer that. He just kissed her forehead and messed her hair up. Then, they stood up and walked to the city.

- What happened in the battle? – she asked. – You don`t fight like that.

- And by "that" you mean? – he asked back, mocking.

- With all that much rage. Without any of your ususal control

- Oh, that? – he said, uncoiling his arm from her waist. – The dagger with which Krona stabbed me must have been coated with a frenzy poison. It caused me to lose perception of friend and enemy. I didn`t kill anyone on our side, did I?

- No, you didn`t. But you were lucky I was there to cover your back.

- I guess I am just lucky to have you here.

She felt her cheeks become hot like a widespread wildfire. She was beginning to think that Siris actually liked to make her feel like that.

00000

Even with all the fur in her face, Siris could see that she had turned redder. He snickered. She was cute when she did that.

- What happened? – he asked, teasing her further.

She didn`t respond, and looked the other way, giggling like a teenage girl. Siris threw his arm lazily around her shoulders, forcing her to lean on him. He felt her warmth on his body on his. Being an Argonian, he relished in the sensation. They walked to Dragonsreach, where the Jarl was garrisoned, probably pacing up and down the hall, nervous that he wasn`t allowed to go to battle.

And Siris`s intuition was right.

Balgruuf was currently stomping heavily through the halls of the glorious manor, dressed in what seemed to bee a Steel Plated armor. Irileth was equally nervous, but she did a far better job at hiding it. Balgruuf drew his sword and turned at the door when he heard it opening. He let it fall to the ground when he saw who it was.

- We won? – he asked, tensed up.

- Yes. – Dila said, as Siris was about to open his mouth. She gave him a smug look.

Balgruuf suddenly scream in relief and hugged the two of them. HE actually lifted them up. Dila was desperately gasping for air. Siris patted Balgruuf in the shoulder, as if to say:

"That`s enough, please, before we both die!"

He understood the message, and released them both. Siris fell with his feet firmly planted on the ground, but Dila wasn`t so lucky. She tried to maintain her balance, but ended up falling flat on her backside. Siris laughed at the image of her sitting on the floor, her eyes wide open and gasping for breath. He helped her up.

- I`m sorry, Dila. – Balgruuf said, almost embarrassed. – I just felt like doing that…

- It`s okay, Balgruuf. – she said, regaining her breath. – Next time, please, give me a warning that you are going to do that.

Balgruuf laughed. Then, he said:

- Shall we drink, then? This is an opportunity that is in need of celebration!

Siris turned to Dila. He knew what had happened the last time she had drunk anything that had alcohol in it. It hadn`t looked very pretty. To his surprise, she said.

- Of course. I am in the mood for something strong.

- We have just what you need, Dila. – Balgruuf said, already signaling for the guards to go fetch some drinks.

Siris approached Balgruuf and subtly said:

- Balgruuf, this is not a very good idea…

- Relax, Siris. What is the worst thing that could happen.

"Just wait and see."

00000

Dila felt happy. And light hearted. And maybe slightly drunk.

She was skipping around the table, being chased by Siris, who hadn`t drunk as much as the others, who were almost sleeping with their heads on the table.

- Dila! – she heard Siris say, still running after her. – Calm down! Please!

She didn`t, but she slapped Irileth`s head so hard she woke up, looked to the side, and went back to sleep. Was she the only one that didn`t want to sleep when she got drunk?

Siris finally managed to catch her, wrapping both arms around her and lifting her from the ground. She giggled at that, and began trying to kick her way out. Siris grip was firm, and she didn`t move an inch.

- Give up? – he said, chuckling.

"I still have one last card."

She quickly turned around and crushed her mouth on his. He was surprised, but slowly closed his eyes and let her tongue ease her way into his mouth. His arms began to unwind themselves from her thin waist, letting her slide to the ground. His hands took hold of her hips.

She was free, and could run away at any moment she wanted. But the idea of unlocking herself from Siris seemed less and less interesting with every movement of his tongue…

- Yes you do… - he said, smiling.

They parted the kiss. She looked deeply into his eyes.

- You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen in my life. - he suddenly said.

She wasn`t expecting that. Nobody had ever told her that. Her eyes went wide with the praise. He felt something grazing on her chhek. She turned her head and saw it was Siris`s hand slowly caressing her face. She turned to him again and kissed him again.

- Take me, Siris. – she said, enveloping his waist with her slender arms. – Now.

- If the damsel wishes…

00000

Krona looked through the window. Her newly acquired abilities were still a discovery for her. Sitting on the top of the Jarl`s castle, she could now see both Siris and Dila in their room at the inn. They seemed so happy, letting their bodies mix together, like she had oce done with him.

She gripped the small star-shaped pendant on her neck. Her orders were now to wait and keep collecting information.

She gritted her teeth together. Siris was supposed to be hers, but he seemed to have already forgotten her. The Khajiit had stolen him from her. She would have her revenge.

She would kill her slowly in front of him…

And when he begged for her mercy, her love…

She would end his suffering with a gentle swipe from her dagger….

* * *

# _**kronastalker**_

_**Guys, I took a really long time in this chapter because it was the first time I did a large scale battle. Please, please, PLEASE give me comments on what I can improve.**_

_** Sorry. I will try to return to my usual update rate. **_

_**Peace!**_


	15. Blue Aurora

Chapter 15:

Siris felt something brush on his face. At first he ignored it, then he swatted at it when it insisted. He opened his eyes and saw that Dila was lying by his side, smile on her face, her tail swinging in front of his face. He laughed.

- Finnaly, you woke up ealier then me…

- You snore…

- Huh?

She smiled, before they both burst out, laughing. The day didn`t even show signs of appearing. The stars were still shining in the sky. Dila ran her fingers through his chest, drawing aimless forms on his bare skin. He kissed her.

Then he opened his eyes again, and it wasn`t Dila he was kissing. It was Krona that was laying with him in his bed, back at the Shaodwscale base. He jumped back, but he was bound to the bed. Krona neared him, yellow eyes fixed on his own. She slowly wrapped her hands around him. They were so cold it made his skin hurt. She went in to kiss him again, but her skin desintgrated, and all that was left was her skeleton…

Siris shot up, gasping for breath. He looked to his sides, getting his surroundings again. The candles illuminating had had the flames blown out of them by Siris when they laid to sleep, and the night was still dark. Dila was sleeping by his side, her back turned to him. He could hear her light, cute snore. He patted her back. She sighed, without waking up, and turned to him.

"Another nightmare." He thought, slowly lying down again.

Dila pressed herself closer to him, feeling his body. His eyes slowly began to close.

"Why is she creeping on my mind…"

He couldn`t finish the thought, as he was fast asleep. In the corner of the room, the Ebony Blade glew a dim red light.

00000

Dila woke up and stretched her arms with a mighty yawn. She hadn`t slept so well in what seemed like ages. She reached for the side of the bed, and her fingers stumbled on a piece of paper. She picked it up and read it, grumpy that she had to strain her vision in the morning. The letter read, in a simple, yet effective calligraphy:

"_Love,_

_I had to go to Dragonsreach early to take care of a few issues with the Jarl. Apparently, drinking as much as you did last night can be bad for you. Who would have thought?_

_ Siris_

_ P.S.: You snore when you sleep."_

Dila laughed at the letter`s content, before realizing what the last thing Siris had written meant. Did he just say that she snored? She gently laid down the letter, with a smile playing on her lips. He would see who would laugh last…

She dressed herself and took her time to get out of the inn. On her way to Dragonsreach, she saw a few soldiers had dropped asleep where they stood, probably too drunk to go anywhere. She wasn`t feeling at her prime either, but she could manage. Instead of opening the doors like she usually did, she knocked and waited for a guard to open the door for her. As he did, she entered the castle. The dinning table was filed with untouched food, probably the Jarl`s, as he was not quite in the mood to eat.

Siris was by his throne`s side, helping a probably hungover Balgruuf drink some water. The Jarl had a small towel on his forehead, as opposed to his usual crown. Dila almost laughed at the scene, but she held herself, merely so that her head didn`t hurt. Siris turned to her, and he was divided between his want to kiss her good morning or tending to his friend, who didn`t seem to be in a very good situation himself. Siris ended up leaving the Jarl for just a second, just to hug her. She gave him a quick squeeze, before Balgfruuf fell from the throne. He shouted something Dila could not – and did not want to – comprehend. Siris rushed to his side and helped him up. Balgruuf put his hand on Siris`s shoulder, letting his friend help him up.

- Dila?.. – the weak Nord said. – Is that you?

- Yes. – Dila said, helping him up too. – It`s me. Sorry. This is all my fault.

- Please, don`t talk so loud…

Dila shut herself up. They put Balgruuf in this chair again.

- No, it isn`t your fault, Dila. – he said, after a few moments. – I drank too much myself.

- I told you were going to regret it…

- You didn`t.

- I did.

- You didn`t.

- I did

- You di…

They were interrupted by Dila`s laughter. She was laughing so hard she had to double over. Siris quickly caught her laughter, much to Balgruuf`s displeasure and pain. He put his hands in his ears. He was in too much pain to yell a shut up to both of them.

- SHUT UP! – came a voice from up the stairs.

They all turned, now silent, to a much angry Irileth on top of the stairs. She had her hair all messed up, but she had seemingly not forgotten to bring her sword.

- I want to sleep. – she said, in a menacing tone. – If you want to argue, go take it somewhere else!

She walked back to her room, grumbling something about "fools" and "mead". Siris and Dila stood there, not sure of what to do. Then, Dila thought it was the perfect time for her revenge. She walked to the table, Siris following her.

- Siris? – she asked, to confirm if he was behind her.

- What?

She spun and smashed a pie in his face. He stood there, with the cream dripping on the ground, eyes closed, smile on his face.

- Revenge is sweet. – she said, triumphant.

Siris tasted the pie.

- And tastes of apples. I probably deserved that.

They both let out a controlled chuckle. They didn`t want Balgruuf nor Irileth sending them both out of the castle. Siris wiped his face with a towel, before flinging a little bit of the topping at Dila. It landed on her cheek. She wiped it from there and tasted it.

- Tastes of you… - she said, earning her a fit of controlled laughter from Siris.

Then they heard the Jarl call them.

00000

- Siris. – Balgruuf said to him, seeming a little bit better from his hangover. – I have a new mission for the both of you…

- What is it?

- You have to go to Dawnstar. The Legion sent a letter. They need the Jarl to cooperate. If not… - he passed his fingers by his throat. – It is better if you go together. After last time`s fiasco, I can`t risk one of you getting captured.

The Jarl then sent them both away with a flick of his wrist, clearly wanting to be alone for a moment. Siris was most happy to comply. He had been in Whiterun for two days now, and already the city was boring him. The Pale would be a a breath of fresh air for him: while he never took much interest in the small, cold hold, he knew that Dila knew those lands. It would be good to see her in her own element.

Dila didn`t show anything other then a slight smile on her face. The thought of being truly alone with Siris again was a nice hope, even if they did have to go to that freezing place called Dawnstar. They stoped by the inn to pick their weapons and equipment up. Once they were ready, they went back to Dragonsreach to say goodbye to the Jarl, but they were warned by Proventus, who had dealt with his hangover more quickly then the others, that the Jarl had gone back to his bed, much to Siris`s surprise. Balgruuf had never been so mad after a drunken night; he usually recovered before Siris himself.

- Just tell him we sent our regards, Proventus. We are leaving now.

Proventus nodded, and went up the stairs to take care of his own business. Siris began saying:

- So, I guess we should…

Dila was already on her way to the door, though. He scratched his forehead.

"In a hurry, aren`t we?"

He spun on his heels and went after Dila. Soon, they were both walking through the prairie. Unconsciously, they were holding hands, and Siris was quietly humming a tune he had learned a long time ago. He couldn`t remember the lyrics, but the tune was nice. Dila seemed to like it, as she quickly began humming it with him. The Pale was far, probably a two day trip. They could make it in less time, but they did really want to take their time.

00000

Whiterun had disappeared from their view a long time ago, and they had found a nice spot to pass the night, under a small but firm rock. They had a little bit of firewood, and Dila had managed to kill two rabbits. Less then they usually had, but they could manage. The night was begging to get colder. They were both waiting for the rabbit to get cooked. Dila`s stomach was rumbling. She was eyeing one of the rabbits, the fatter one, with hungry eyes. Siris noticed this.

- Are you that hungry? – he asked. She snapped out of the trance and nodded her head slowly. Siris laughed. – It`s a shame we didn`t bring in more food. Actually… - he said, digging his hands on his bag. – I am almost out of money. We will need to watch out with what we spend, all right?

- I never spent anything!

- The daggers in your belt beg to differ…

She blushed and retook to watching the rabbits. Siris stood up and calmly walked to her side. He sat down.

- What is on your mind? – he asked.

- Nothing much, really. – she answered. – I guess I am just tired.

- Want a potion? I`ve got plenty of those to spare.

- No, thanks. I can manage. I`m not that tired.

Siris just nodded and stood up, walking to the opening on the rock. Then he looked up to the sky outside. He smiled and turned back to Dila.

- Hey. – he said, flexing his fingers in his direction. – Come see this.

She got up and walked toward him. She looked up, and what she saw was mesmerizing.

The sky was of a pale color, thanks to the gigantic Blue Aurora that stretched for as far as the eye could reach. The stars were barely visible between the various lights. It was a really beautiful sight to behold.

- I had never seen a Blue Aurora before.

- They are pretty rare. – Siris said. – Say what you will about Skyrim and the Nords, but they have a magnificent view…

- I don`t intend to spare them of what happened because of it, though.

- Never said I would…

A question suddenly made it`s way to Siris`s mind. He wasn`t sure he should ask it, though…

"Ah, what harm could come out of it?"

- Dila… - he began. She tilted her head toward him. – Where do you come from?

Dila though that the question was strange. She had already answered that many times before. Had he forgotten it?

- I hail from Els…

- …weyr. Yes, I know that. But I have told you about my time in the Shadowscales. Can`t you tell me something about your past?

- Oh! – she said, suddenly realizing what Siris was asking for. – That…

- Come on, tell me! – he said, trying to be playful – I just want to know more about you.

She quietly sat down and searched her bag. She picked up the circlet Siris had given her. She stared deep inside the main ruby on the centre. Siris sat by her side.

- I was a poor child back in my homeland. – she begun. Siris was hearing, very interested in knowing his lover better. – I was abandoned, in a poor street of Dune, a city in the middle of Elsweyr`s desert plain. I was raised by thieves.

Siris was just listening. She was eyeing the fire now. Her pupils were slit. She was tensing up. Did he do the same when he told her about his past?

- I had very few friends. Actually, only one. She was one of the people you saw being slain by the bandits. Her name was Dro`Marash.

Siris remembered. She was the Khajiit wearing Steel armor. Had she not been exhausted from the storm, he was sure she could have had taken the bandits.

- We were very close and good friends. We were like sisters, you could say. – she said, lifting the small amulet of Dibella from her neck. She played with for a few moments, before continuing with the story. – We knew we weren`t going to get a better life in any place of Elsweyr, so we decided to move to somewhere else…

- And you decided to come to Skyrim?

- Yes. We thought we could have gotten jobs as soldiers. Dro was always good with maces, and you have seen my skills with the bow.

- That I have…

She chuckled lightly.

- But it took much longer to us to get out of Elsweyr. We were fifteen when we decided to come to this land. We only did so five years later. But, no such luck…

- What do you mean?

- We were caught by a few bandits. Ironically, none of them were Nords. All Bretons and Orcs. They locked us up in cages. They were slave brokers, and they were going to sell us. In the cage I was in, I met Kharjo, that other guard of the caravan. He helped us escape. WE ran in the middle of the night, but not before we slit a few of their throats.

Dila was sobbing. Siris was surprised by how fast she went from relatively unhappy to depressed.

- I miss them all so much… - were the words that came out of her mouth, meekly. Siris hugged her. – My friends… they are all dead…

- Shh… - Siris whispered, with his arms around her. – You haven`t lost all your friends. You have Balgruuf, Irileth…

- And you, Siris. – she said. – I have you.

She was calming down. Siris could feel her breath on his neck. The rabbits were already charred from the fire. They didn`t care. The Aurora was still shining.

Later, in bed, Dila hugged Siris tightly…

- Just hold me…

- You sure? – he asked.

- Yes.

She was soon asleep, in his arms. Siris felt his own eyes weighting. He fell asleep soon, not before smiling and nuzzling his muzzle in Dila`s hair…

"I love you, Dila" he slugishly thought, slowly drifting away to the land of dreams.


	16. Ebony Snake and Lynx Eye

Chapter 16:

Siris was shuddering from the cold. He should have brought his cloak with him, as Dila reminded him.

- Why did you leave the cloak back in Whiterun?

- Because "someone"… - he said, putting extra emphasis on the word. – Cut the strap that kept it from falling apart.

- I`m sorry! – she said, before adding slyly – But you didn`t complain…

He laughed. They had been walking the whole day. Dila still had her armor`s cloak, so she was a bit warmer than himself. He was beginning to consider the idea of wearing a blanket over himself.

- That is true. I would never complain of something like that.

- I knew I was going to win this discussion.

Siris chuckled again, before another shudder passed through his body. He needed shelter fast, else he would get a cold that would put him in bed for a long time. Luckily, at least for him, Dila told him that they were near Dawnstar.

"Thank the Hist!"

The sky was grey, and the snow was falling slowly and steadily, much different from the constant blizzard in Windhelm and from the non stoping snow storm on Winterhold. Dila seemed happy on the snow, which Siris found quite strange.

- Why are you smiling so much?

- Why? Don`t you like it when I smile?

- No! It`s definately not that! It`s just that I find it strange that you, being a Khajiit, like snow.

- From where I come from… - she said, almost skipping instead of walking. – Small things falling from the sky meant that a sandstorm was going to hit very soon. But here, it`s just part of the climate, and I don`t need to be afraid of it.

She closed her eyes and put her tongue out, grabbing a few snowflakes in it. Siris did the same. The cold sensation was now in his mouth.

"I shouldn`t have done that." He thought, now shivering on the inside.

His rumblings were cut short by a hissing sound. Dila also heard it, as she stopped collecting snow in her mouth and her ears extended up. From the corner of his eye, Siris saw a small light floating about. Dila quickly took out her bow and, before Siris could warn her, she fired.

- Dila, no! – he screamed, right as she let the arrow fly.

The arrow struck the orb and it exploded. Siris looked at Dila, who was just smiling.

- What? That was easy!

He shook his head. Then, a melancholic humming took hold of the air. Dila looked around, confused, as Siris drew his sword with a preoccupied face.

- What is this? – Dila asked.

"Poor Dila" he thought."She has no idea in what sort of mess she has put us right into…"

More lights started flowing around them. Dila backed up.

- You killed a Wisp. – he said, matter-of-factly. – So, you have warned a much bigger monster that we are here.

- A bigger… monster? – she asked, trying to focus on one of the Wisps, who were increasing in both number and speed.

Just then, a horrid figure appeared in front of her. It seemed to be a woman, but with a spectral figure to her. Various Wisps hovered around her while she himself was not touching the ground. She wore a long dress, and a light mist seemed to envelop her hands.

Without warning, the monster shot something at them. Dila rolled out of the way, and when she turned back, she saw that a javelin of ice had struck the ground where she stood.

- That… - Siris said, having dodged the spike himself. – Is a Wispmother.

As Siris ended his explanation, the wispmother conjured two copies of herself. Siris ran and struck a blow across one of them. It disintegrated and small ashes piled on the floor. Dila didn`t knew in what to concentrate. She held an arrow ready at her bow, trying to aim at one of the wisps. But every time she could get her aim ready, the Wispmother and her shade would fire a stream of icy air at her, and she would have to sidestep out of the way.

Siris hurried to her aid, sliding on the ground to dodge another Ice Spike the shade had thrown his way. He got up and quickly struck the shade in the head. It flew off and vanished in a puff of smoke. He didn`t notice the Wispmother coming behind him, though.

He quickly turned when he felt a chill run up his spine. The Wispmother blasted him of the ground with a gush of cold air. His sword escaped his grip, and he fell to the ground with nothing to defend himself. He was trembling too hard to make use of his throwing daggers efficiently. The Wispmother fired another spike in his direction. He rolled out of it`s way, but when he looked up again, he saw the Wispmother merely a few feet away from him, preparing another point-blank javelin. He looked at death straight in it`s eyes.

Just then, an arrow erupted from the Wispomther`s forehead. She turned around and eyed Dila, who let of another arrow straight at the cold lady`s chest. It dodged and rushed toward Dila. The Khajiit whipped out her daggers and prepared to face the pale ghost in close combat.

The Wispmother swiped her hand, but Dila managed to duck under it, sending a bladed uppercut straight to the monster`s jaw. The Wispmother let out an almighty scream as the dagger cut her jaw line in half, and Dila quickly followed through with a stab to the chest, followed by a cut across the beast`s stomach.

The siren screamed again, and fell down in a smile pile of dust. Siris got up and picked his sword up. He looked around the blade to see if the fall hadn`t made a dent on the sword.

"How foolish." He heard in his mind. He didn`t need Mephala whispering in his mind again. "My sword will never break! It is made…"

"Within the forges of Oblivion, from the blackest of all ebony and so on…" Siris thought back. "Still, never bad to check"

"Do you mock me, mortal? Don`t forget, I can, and will, overpower your mind. Make you do unspeakable acts; make people around you dread your presence. And maybe make history repeat itself…"

Siris immediately understood what she meant, and hastily threw the sword on it`s scabbard. He then walked to Dila.

- You did well, Dila. – he said, following her gaze to the small pile of ashes by her feet. – Not many survive an encounter with a Wispmother. Drinks are on me tonight.

She laughed, and he crouched and took out a small vial from his pack. Then, he took some of the ash and one wrapping made out of ice. He put the ash in the bottle and the wrapping in the bag as well.

- What are you doing? – Dila asked him.

- These things will net us quite a large amount of gold. Plus, I can use the Glow Dust and the wrappings to make potions. I can teach you if you have the patience.

- Sure. It sounds useful.

- It is.

Once he finished collecting the remains of the once-deadly monster and it`s Wisps, Siris signaled her to keep moving. The cold was not helping him maintain his pace, though, and the Wispmother`s attack had left him shuddering more than usual. Dila noticed this, and quickly neared him. He wraped his arm around her shoulders.

- There are a few perks to being a Khajiit`s friend, you know? – she said, mockingly

- Ouch! – he said, faking being hurt. – Am I just your friend?

- You're my toy. – she said, playing along. – That`s it.

- Oh, what a cruel fate to me! – he said, over dramatically.

Dila laughed, before he tripped her legs from beneath her. She was taken by surprise before Siris held her before she could fall. He smiled as she took hold of what had happened. Then she smiled back at him.

- My hero. – she said.

- I try. Really hard.

He brought her up and they kissed. She pulled him to the ground, spinning so that he would fall under her. He landed on the soft snow. He tried to roll back on top, but she spun again and they continued fighting for control, all the while laughing like two children. They eventually stopped, out of breath.

- What happened to "just hold me"? – he asked.

- Oh, you know how it goes… - she said, slowly rubbing her hands on his chest. – Nothing sets up the mood like killing a dangerous monster. And besides… - she continued, taking hold of one of his hands and cupping it between her two hands. She kissed the hand. – You could use some heat, couldn`t you?

He suddenly yanked his hand, and she once again was lying over him. He took his hand and kissed both of hers.

- Why don`t we set up the camp? We are both tired…

- Will you help me?

- If it helps us set faster, then of course I will.

- Selfish.

- Hey, you started it, minx. – he said. – Now play along.

They started setting up the tent. The night was pale as it always was on the Pale. They had hunted earlier that night, to not risk sleeping with their stomachs empty again. If they were to arrive in Dawnstar, the middle of Stormclaok controlled territory, they might as well do it while they were not tired and hungry. In about half an hour, they were done. They could eat later. Right now, the desire was too strong.

As he stood up from finally hammering the last corner of the tent down, he turned around and kissed Dila. Her hands immediately shot to his pants, but he stopped her. He had something else in mind. She looked at him in a very confused manner.

- What? – she asked. – You don`t want it?

- No, it`s not that. – he said, grinning. – It`s just that, since we are in the middle of enemy territory and we could get captured at any minute, we should enjoy this.

She tilted her head to the side, still not grasping the concept of foreplay. Siris remembered she was new to the world of intimacy, and decided to keep being her guide through it.

- What do you mean?

- What do I mean? – he said. – I mean that if it`s just for the urge of the moment, it`s merely a night of lust. But, for us, it should be more than that.

His hands were very slowly moving through her body. He went up her back and to the back of her neck. He had discovered that that region of her neck was a very sensitive spot on her, and he took full advantage of it.

- We have all the time in the world, Dila. Why don`t we enjoy it?

She was beginning to understand what he was saying. Siris understood that right when her face shone with a smile.

- Enjoy it how?

- What about this?... – he said, kissing her mouth, before his mouth moved to her cheek and down to her neck.

Dila felt that every fur on her body was standing on it`s tip, and a tingling sensation ran over her body. She closed her eyes. Siris lifted her up and started kissing her still covered chest. She tried to keep up by kissing the top of his head and by moving her hands down his neck and upper back. He crouched and carried her to the tent. He gently laid her down, covering her body with his. Very slowly, he also began to rub her breasts over her armor. She had to stop kissing him to get air.

- I like the way you think, Siris. – she said. Siris noticed her voice was heavy and was being cut by slow, rhythmic breaths.

- You haven`t seen anything, Dila.

He moved up her body again, and kissed her in the forehead. He was bent on making that night wonderful for her. She deserved it, and she was right in one thing.

He more than needed the heat.

00000

Dila walked through the streets of Dawnstar once again, this time with Siris by her side. He observed every small detail of the town. A few guards were throwing them sideway glances. Dila had felt that sensation before, and she was also sure that Siris had also felt the same way before. However, people were seemingly more hostile towards Siris. Dila couldn`t understand that. Had Siris already gone through that town?

- Let`s go to the inn and get a room. We`ll probably need to spend the night here. – he said, ignoring the stares.

Dila showed him the way to the inn, called Windpeak Inn. The house had the same smell of all inns, mead mixed with over cooked meat. The bartender looked up whe heard the door opening, and quickly growled when he saw the duo coming in.

- One room for the night, please. – Siris said, opening his palm to show ten septims.

- I don`t accept money from your people, Argonian. You and this Khajiit whore can go hike, if you ask me.

Siris squinted his eyes, and Dila`s pupils slit. The bartednder laughed.

- What are you trying to do, threaten me? Do anything, and I will call the guards. You will be spending the next week in jail.

Dila knew better than to attack the man. He was raising serious threats. Also, who could guarantee that the guards were just going to put them in jail. She carefully nudged Siris in the arm. He understood.

- Fine. You are the one throwing money away, not me.

The manager huffed and pointed at the door. They angrily went outside.

- I think it`s time to talk to the Jarl. – Siris said. - From what I have heard, Skald the Elder is a fanatic Stormcloak sympathizer. This will not be easy.

- Let`s go. The sooner we do this, the better we can get out of this town. – Dila said. – The mannor is right there.

They walked through the snowy hill up to the mannor, the White Hall, was much less imponent then Dragonsreach, but it was noticeably bigger than the houses surrounding it. Siris and Dila stepped through the door. The Jarl, Skald, was a much frailer man then Balgruuf. His clothes were almost all made out of blue material, except for the white wolf pelt he used wrapped around his neck. His crown was made out of a silvery material that could be Quicksilver, and it was filled with sapphires. He looked strangely at the two Beasts coming toward him. Then his face turned into a disgusted expression.

- What are these two beasts doing here? Guards!

- Wait! – Siris said. – Are you Jarl Skald?

- Yes. Who asks for me? – he said, with his voice every bit as cold as the climate of his hold.

- Sari-Al – he said. Dila looked at him, not understanding the sudden change on his name. She then perceived that it wouldn`t be too bright to use their real names in the middle of a Stormcloak city. – And this is my friend, Qa`zil. We come in peace.

Siris had used the prefix that meant "Unknown", in the native language of the Khajiit. Wether he knew it or not, he would have to ask him later. The Jarl pondered for a moment, taking in what he had been told.

- All right. Tell me, Sari-Al, what brings you here to my hold?

- I have come to join the Stormcloak rebellion.

- Oh, now have you? – the Jarl said, surprised. – Why? We have nothing to do with the Beasts. We want you…

- Will you stop calling us beasts? – Dila screamed out. She immediately realized her mistake, when all of the guards drew their swords with a gesture of the Jarl

The soldiers started closing in on Siris and Dila, who quickly got into back to back position.

- Please, Jarl. – Siris said, with soldiers surrounding them. – Forgive my friend. There is no reason for a fight here.

- Oh, I guess there is. I just needed a moment to recognize you. – he said, lifting two pieces of paper. – Sari-Al and Qa`zil. Or should I say…

He turned the posters around, to show two bounties.

- Siris "Ebony-Snake" and Dila "Lynx-Eye"

00000

Siris was cursing his luck. It was the third time that night that he did that.

The first one was when the guards had confiscated his only lockpick.

The second one was when they had thrown him in a cell separate from Dila`s.

And the third one was now, with a big Nord trying to threaten him, even if they were both behind bars.

- I guess you are really stupid. – the man said, mocking him. – Why did you come in this hold if you had a bounty?

- None of your business. – Siris said. They had also kept his clothes, giving him rags to wear, and his weapon. He had to hold himself from laughing when they tried to unsheathe the sword, only to fail miserably. – Please keep to yourself. I don`t want to increase my bounty.

- Oh, is the lizard trying to threaten me?

- I`m not trying.

With that, the Nord lunged at him, both arms outstretched. Siris easily sidestepped the maddened blow and grabbed hold of his right wrist. He twisted it around, breaking it and knocking the Nord out cold with a punch to the back of the head, followed by a swift knee in the face. He released the Nord as his knee impacted with his head, letting him fall in the straw bed, unconscious and making no noise at all.

The Shadowscales had trained him very well in fighting without advantages. He could escape any bindings and fight without any weapons. The pitifull Nord learned the last part a little bit too late.

Siris saw something glinting by he Nord`s waist. He crouched near him and discovered it was a lockpick. Siris grinned. He would be out of there in no time.

00000

Dila turned around in her bed again. She couldn`t sleep in the straw. It itched too much to be confortable. The rags didn`t help keeping the chill out. It wasn`t dark, but she wouldn`t mind if it was. Her eyes would adapt all the same, but the torchlight was also keeping her from sleeping.

She also missed Siris`s company.

"You idiot!" she thought. "This is your fault. If you hadn`t screamed, you and Siris would probably be free now, stupid child!".

No. That was something she wasn`t. She could be anything: naïve, unexperienced and even unreliable. But she had already killed many men, saved various people, faced of against an undead assassin…

And her virginity had already been claimed by a man.

She smiled at the thought, but quickly shook her head when she heard the door clicking behind her. She turned around, and saw Siris behind her, holding the door opened, crouched and swith a finger on his mouth.

- Now… – he whispered. – What do you think of getting out of here?

- A very good idea indeed.

She stepd out of the cell, rewarding Siris with a kiss in the cheek. Siris slowly closed the door. He pointed her a way, she crouched and wnet the way he showed her. She saw a guard, dead on the floor, his body denoting struggle, but his eyes were closed.

- Sign of respect. – Siris whispered, behind her. – The chest with our things is just up there. Let`s go before the next guard comes.

She nodded and stepped over the guard`s body. She tried to open the chest, but it was locked. She thought about using her claws as lockpicks, something she had already done before, but Siris waved the keys in front of her face before she could do it. She grabbed them and tried out a few keys before she opened the chest. Her armor was lying right on top, and she took it and her bow before she let Siris pick his things. She quickly dressed and swung her bow over to her back, fully outfitted. She looked at Siris, also ready, and the both nodded in acnkowlodgement, before sneaking through the door.

The guards were asleep. They caught their packs and lleft through the door. Once out, they sprinted for the hills surrounding the city. Once they were both out of the town gurads possible line of sight, they stopped, huffing and puffing.

- How many times have you done this? – Dila asked. – It seemed a little bit too easy.

- Including the times I went not because of my own crimes? Twenty.

- And if you didn`t include them?

- One.

Dila was surprised. He looked at her.

- What? I`m good at what I do.

- And what would that be?

He kneeled and began rummaging through his bag. Then, he pulled out something made out of black leather.

- You will se soon enough...


	17. Of Shadows and Blood

Chapter 17:

- They escaped? – the Jarl asked, tensing up in his throne. The captain was pale, afraid of what might happen to him.

- Yes, sir. They somehow managed to sneak out of the barracks. If you wish, we can organize a search group…

- You idiot! – Skald shouted, slamming his hand on the chair`s arm. – That Argonian is a Shadowscale! He will kill you before you have a chance to breathe!

At that moment, the door slammed open. From the shadows, the Jarl could distinguish a muscular form. The figure took a step toward`s Skald, and he noticed that the mysterious being was an Argonian.

He shrunk back in his throne. The Argonian was too muscular to be Siris, but he did have an imposing stature. He also had a mace by his waist, wrapped around something that concealed it`s appearance. He had a shroud and a mask covering his face.

- And another one appears. What do you want? – Skald said, impacient.

The Argonian removed the hood and showed his orange skin. His eyes were blood red.

- I am Tar-Ma. My leader sent me here. And I want revenge…

00000

Siris slipped in his boots, the last piece of equipment missing. It had been a long time since he had used that outfit. Dila was looking at him.

- Are you sure about this, Siris? – she asked, clearly concearned.

- Yes, the orders were to convince or kill. And I doubt we will be convincing him soon. And don`t worry. – he brought a dagger from the bag. It was a dagger made by the elves, only colored black. – Even if it`s been very long, I am still the best assassin in business.

He stood up, and the feeling of his old Shadowscale uniform on his body felt… strange. It was black with dark green stripes, not as form-fiting as the Dark Brotherhood`s version, but it fitted a similar purpose. Every intricate detail of the suit had been thought from a stealth point of view, and the gear itself was enchanted to be the perfect disguise for an assassin. The stripes ran from his sides to his chest, and a small cloak covered his tail, not allowing it to be spotted by his prey.

- That armor doesn`t seem like it`s going to give you much defense, Siris. Don`t you wish to go with your sword?

- No. That thing is too bulky. I need my agility this time around. – he closed the bag and threw it to the side. – Keep an eye out. I`ll be back before you know it.

He saterted to walk downhill.

- Siris! – he heard her say. He turned around and she lowered his mask, before kissing him. She broke the kiss, with a sad smile on her face. – Come back alive.

- It sounds like you don`t know me…

He chuckled, and retook his silent walk to the town, though not before staring back at Dila and seeing her looking at him, worried again. Even though nothing was going to happen to him, he couldn`t help but feel bad at leaving her. He had to complete his mission. And he needed some information regarding Razara`s new little toy…

He took a sharp turn to the right. Hiding behind a few bushes until a guard taking his patrol went away. He took a letter from his pocket and read it.

" Silus Vesuius presents

The Museum of the Mythic Dawn

A history of the Cult that Toppled the Septim Dynasty

Inside of his very own home in the great capital of the Pale, Dawnstar

Free and open to all citizens of Skyrim"

Siris remembered reading about the Mythic Dawn. A cult that had assassinated one emperor and three of his sons. Most notably, however, was the almost single handed orchestration of the Oblivion Crisis, in which the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon, had invaded Nirn with his forces. Now the order was extinct, because of the valiant Hero of Kvatch. But Daedric Princes did not die.

And now, the Mehrunes Razor, Dagon`s artifact, was in the hands of one of Tamriel`s most deadly and vengefull assassins.

Siris cautiously snaked toward the now abandoned house, indentifying it as the right one because of the old flag, depicting a rising sun in a red background. Siris crouched, becoming one with the shadows, and picked up a lockpick. The lock was easily opened, and he didn`t even loose his lockpick in the process. He put it back in his pocket and entered the building.

The room was filled with stands, all of them with items bearing the symbol of the Mythic Dawn. Siris saw that a note was lying on the bed.

"Bog-Hunter,

I have gone to the Shrine, in order to meditate upon the shards that I already have. Meet me at the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon when you have all the pieces.

Silus"

Siris recognized Razara`s fake name. He had probably tricked Silus into accepting his help in retrieving the fragments of the dagger. Then, Razara had probably killed him to retrieve the blade.

The bastard would pay. But now, his task was another one.

"I will pay this shrine a visist when we are out of here. But first, my presence is needed elsewhere."

He put the note on his pocket and sneaked out of the door again. He held his breath when he heard a guard passing by the house. He thought quickly and jumped to the roof of the house, laying falt on his stomach. The guard stoped in front of the house, and waited a couple of minutes before another guard showed up.

- Torvir! – he said. – How have things been on with the Jarl?

- Bad, Standr. He is mad because of the Beast traffic around here.

- Why is that a problem?

- The problem is he doesn`t like them. He is angry, because three appeared oly today! And, when he doesn`t like something, he makes our lives a living hell!

"Three?" Siris thought, listening to the whole conversation. "But only me and Dila have come to town today."

- Yeah. I guess he`s right, though. We don`t need any Beasts in here.

- Oh, but he needs this last one. He is afraid of the one that escaped earlier.

- What do you mean?

The guards were walking away. Siris stayed there a couple more moments before going to the ground, landing silently in the snow.

"The only reasonable explanation would be… another Shadowscale."

He felt preoccupied for Dila. Another Shadowscale could spell death to her, but he needed to keep calm and hope that she would be okay. She could fight well on her own, and she could fend her opponent until he arrived.

Moving through the shadows once again, Siris arrived at the White Hall. He could hear a few guards inside. He saw a window high in the walls. Using his claws, he climbed up to it and perched himself at it`s frame, observing what was happening.

The Jarl was already asleep, and a few guards were mounting guard at his bedroom`s door, but they were so tired they were almost sleeping while standing. Siris walked across one of the beams in the ceiling over the two guards. When they were right below him, he dropped silently, impaling one with his dagger, before spinning and slicing the other`s throat. The bodies fell heavily, and Siris was afraid for a moment, but realized that there was no one else in the building. The Jarl was sleeping soundly. Siris approached, bloody dagger in his hand, and stood by the side of the bed. He raised his dagger.

- Nostalgic, no?

He turned around, receiving a strong blow to the head that sent him flying over the bed and onto a the wall. He opened his eyes, and saw the other Shadowscale jumping toward him. He sidestepped and readied his dagger, letting the Shadowscale assume his battle position.

Now that he could look at his assailant more calmly, Siris noticed his ornge skin and his red eyes.

- Tar-Ma. – he sighed. – What are you doing here?

- Killing you!

With that, he lunged. Siris knew that Tar-Ma Favoured the mace as a weapon, and he could see a mace-shaped object in his hand, but it was wrapped in some sort of cloth that made it difficult for Siris to distinguish what it was made of.

Siris ducked under another swipe of the mace, but, before he could notice, Tar-Ma planted his fist on his stomach, sending him through the door. Siris fell on the ground, gasping for breath. Tar-Ma`s punches were a force to be reckoned with.

The larger Argonian came out of the door after him, with the Jarl shouting threats at Siris, but never coming out of the bed.

"Funny how being in a positinn of power raises your cowardice."

Siris jumped and tried to kick Tar-Ma in his face, nearly connecting. Tar-Ma, however, swung upwards, forcing Siris to bring his arms up to block the blow. The mace impacted with more strength then it had with the first one, and Siris flew up to the window from which he had come from.

- Running away? – Tar-Ma said, laughing as he did so. – You are stronger then I remembered, Siris. But I too have my tricks.

He unwrapped the mace, and a small trickle of sweat ran down on Siris`s forehead.

Tar-Ma was holding the Mace of Molag-Bal.

00000

Dila was watching from a few rooftops away. Siris had told her he would have been back soon, but she was worried all the same. She had jumped from rooftop to rooftop to keep up with him, but he had finnaly entered the hall, after stoping by a strange house in the outskirts of the town.

He had entered through a window, and a few moments later, she heard muffled sounds denoting a fight. She drew her bow from her back. Siris appeared on the window again. This time, though, she could see that he was panting, out of breath.

She saw Siris eyes widen suddenly. Then, he said something to someone on the house and jumped to a rooftop behind him.

"What has bitten him?"Dila thought, drawing an arrow. Then, she saw another figure, much bulkier then him, though dressed in the same style, follow him through the window. She saw Siris dodge a blow from a mace, and Dila caught sight of it. It was the most menacing mace she had ever seen. It had various skull adornements along it`s length, and it had a few blades, as if it was meant to cut and smash it`s target at the same time. She readied the arrow and pulled the bowstring, keeping a steady aim in the larger Argonian. She thought that she could make the shot.

But she felt a dagger touch her throat.

- Don`t. – she heard. It was a male voice, much rougher than Siris. Then she heard a chuckle. – You didn`t thought one of us would come here alone, did you.

She lowered her bow. The assassin had her for the moment. She turned around. The Argonian that she saw had a dark blue skin tone, and his eyes were of a lighter hue of the same color. His pupils were slit so much they barely appeared. He had two short horns. He held a small smirk on his face.

- You must be the archer Siris has been traveling with. Seems like I have a rival now…

She didn`t let him finish. She extended her talons and scratched his face. He let out a scream of pain. Dila smashed his head with the bow, and before he could get up again, she ran away, jumping onto the street, and making a mad dash for the woods in which they had set camp. She could hear a very faint sound of a mace hitting the wood of a rooftop, and people shouting and complaining about the noise.

When she crouched behind a bush, she turned around to see what was happening. She saw Siris fighting with the other Argonian on another rooftop, the Argonian she had attacked searching for her, holding his face and trying to keep it in one piece. She tried to keep as quiet as she could. If the man saw her, it would be her end.

She slowly lifted her bow and pulled the arrow she had previously readied. She slowed her breathing and took aim at the Argonian. It was now or never.

She let the arrow loose. It traveled quickly and embended itself on his shoulder. He let out a scream of pain, and another arrow soon silenced him. She walked to the body and scanned it with her eyes. Her eyes, trained to find the most valuable items anywhere, drew instantly to the bow in his now dead hands. It was an Elven Bow, much better than her Orcish one. She grabbed it, and instaly felt the lightness of the material. The cord was strung perfectly, and she could spend hours contemplating it`s beauty, but before she could do so, she remembered that Siris was in trouble.

She turned her head up and saw him still battling the other Shadowscale. Siris, however, was getting tired. She could see it in his stance. His back was arching, and she could figure small puffs of condensed breath coming from his covered nuzzle. She didn`t waste a second. She readiead an arrow and shot straight at his opponent.

The bow shot the arrow with much more strength then her last one, but the assassin noticed the arrow coming, dodging and letting it fly harmlessly to the hill behind them.

Dila had given her postion away, and now she knew that no other shot would hit. She holstered her new bow and ran.

But the assassin wasn`t planning on letting her escape.

00000

- So, that`s the Khajiit I have heard so much about. – Tar-Ma said, briefly letting Siris a moment to think

"What is she doing here?"

- She`s the one that you are using to forget Krona, isn`t she?

- I told you, Krona`s alive!

- Liar! – Tar-Ma screamed. – How can she be? I buried her, I saw the gapping hole in her chest!

- This is Razara`s doing! He somehow resurrected her!

- Don`t make me laugh, Siris. What`s done is done. Now, you will face the consequences!

With that, he charged once again. Siris prepared to block a strike from the mace, but instead, Tar-Ma jumped acroos the street onto another rooftop.

"He is going after Dila"

Siris quickly chased him. He wasn`t going to let Tar-Ma hurt her.

00000

Dila ran with all the speed her legs could give her. She new that the Shadowscale was chasing her, and if she stoped, she was dead. She had to run back to the hill. She would have abetter fighting chance there.

She heard someone drop to the street. Not even looking back, she accelerated her pace, hoping to outrun whoever it was that had jumped down. Suddenly, though, she felt the pain of a dagger emebending itself on her thigh. She fell on the ground, and looked at the bloody wound the sharp dagger had left on her leg.

The assassin walked toward her, the mace on his hand glowing a bright green color. He had a serious expression on his face, which quickly turned to one of anger as he approached.

- You are the whore, then? – he asked. – The one Siris is forgetting my sister with?

- You mean Krona? – she said, voice ragged by pain and fadigue. The dagger had some kind of poison that had drained her strength.

- Don`t speak her name, Khajiit! – he yelled, before menacingly rising his mace over his head. – Now you are going to experience the same fate she did!

Dila closed her eyes, awaiting the impact to crush her skull. Instead, she heard a large gasp for air as Siris tackled her would-be killer. She opened her eyes and saw Siris struggling with the larger Argonian, trying to suffocate him. Dila took the chance to yank the dagger out of her leg. As she grabbed it`s hilt, she felt a chilling sensation run up her arm. She found it strange, but she kept pulling it until it came out with a gush of blood. She hissed in pain and threw the cold object aside.

In the meantime, Siris was punching the assassin with all his might. However, the other one had recovered from his initial blow, and was now swinging his mace trying to hit Siris. Dila was going to help him, but she felt that she couldn`t move her leg. It felt numb and very, very cold.

Siris shot a punch at the Shadowscale`s muzzle, connecting and making him spin to the floor. Seeing that he was in trouble, the assassin rolled back, putting a little bit of distance between him and Siris before opening a red flask and drinking from it.

- You fight as well as I remember, Siris.

- I improved, Tar-Ma. Differently from you, I didn`t sat down, accepting easy gold.

- And neither did I. But I don`t feel like breaking you apart right now. At least not in my current condition. Kandella`s not here, and I didn`t bring enough potions to keep fighting you all night. So I`ll make myself scarce. So long, Siris.

As he said that, he sudenly vanished. Dila was amazed and scared. He had disappeared in the blink of an eye. What kind of sorcery was that?

Siris imediately released his position and went to her side.

- Dila! Dila! Are you allright?

- Just a dagger through the leg. I`ll live.

Siris hauled her up. They needed to get away from the guards and up to their camp. The mission had been a flying failure, but they could still make it out alive. Luckilly, the guards were not chasing them, for some reason.

When they arrived at the camp, Dila could stand on her own. She sat down on the soft snow. Siris sat beside her, panting.

- Who was that? – she asked, after a few moments of somber reflection.

- That was Tar-Ma. He was Krona`s brother. We were… friends.

- How did he disappear like that? Can all of you do that?

- Yes, but it`s been a long time since I last used that. Being born under the Shadow has it`s advantages.

Dila had many questions on her head, but she decided to keep quiet. Siris was visibly shaken by the fighting in which he had participated. He, however, noticed the new bow on her back.

- Where did you get that?

- I killed one of them. He had this on himself. He had blue skin and eyes. Small horns.

- Dead-Aim. Our archer. Arrogant, but he could back his talk with his skills. You killed him, no? – he chuckled when she nodded affirmatively. – Dila, you are a better archer then I initially thought you were.

She chuckled at that too. Suddenly, he embraced her with his strong arms. If she had any thought crossing her mind before, they all disappeared instantly. She wraped her arms around her, squealing when he lifeted her and carried her to the tent.

He released her, and she began to untie her armor while he lay beside her. When she finnaly managed to take the armor off, she turned around, eager to share herself with him…

… only to find him sleeping, having managed to take off half of his upper armor.

She was left confused. Siris was probably exhausted because of the day`s events. She was going to wake him up. He had, after all, let her wanting him inside of her. But when he heard his light snore, she smiled and, instead of slapping him upside the head, gently planted a kiss on the tip of his nuzzle, before snuggling close to him, throwing her arm across his chest and closing her eyes, matching her rythym of breath with his. She soon found herself sleeping with a slight smile on her lips.


	18. A New Home

Chapter 18:

- Siris, why are we doing this again?

- Long story. – he shrugged of, concentrating on the steps ahead of him. - To make it short, I need to know how Razara got his filthy hands on one of the most powerfull weapons of Tamriel.

- Simple, then.

They had been walking for many hours, and, about an hour ago, they had started going up some stairs that someone with way to many time in their hands had cut into a mountain. Siris still wouldn`t tell her where they were going, but she figured it would have to be important, for such a long detour. She noticed that Siris seemed to know the path really well. He knew which curves to take, and even where the steps would be loose.

- Siris, how do you know this place?

He stopped and looked at her.

- Haven`t I told you that already? – when she shook her head, he began to explain. - I once came here with a… friend of mine. Though the path we are taking is slightly different, the bulk of the way is still the same. We will be arriving soon.

He continued to walk, leaving Dila in basically the same situation. She gave up on trying to make sense on what he was saying.

- Don`t worry, it won`t take long now. Only about five minutes.

Exactly five minutes later, they came across a fork in the stairs. Siris took the right path, leaving Dila to imagine what was hidden in the left path. One "flight" of stairs later, they arrived at Siris`s destination. Dila`s mouth hit the floor.

An altar was in the middle of a platform, both made out of stone. Behind the altar, stood a massive statue, a devil-like man holding an axe, sat down. Between his legs, a door.

Near the door, a body is laying on the snowy ground. The human wore a dark red robe. Dila saw that his throat had been slit. Siris walked to the altar and put both his hands on it. The sword on his back began glowing a demonic red.

Suddenly, a booming voice came from nowhere.

- I sense Mephala`s artifact. – Dila looked around, surprised by the voice. – Who are you, Champion of Mephala?

- I`m not her Champion. – Siris said, to the voice. – But I need to know where your`s is.

The voice let out a demonic chuckle. Dila looked up. She was sure that the voice had come from the statue. She recognized the devilish figure carved in the rock. It was Mehrunes Dagon, one of the sixteen Daedric Princes.

- You say you are not her Champion, but you carry her Ebony Blade. Pardon me if I don`t believe you, Argonian. As for your other question, I might tell you where he is.

With that, two purple flames erupted from the ground in front of both of his legs.

- If you survive.

Two Daedra`s were now standing on the platform, where the two flames had sprouted. One had a warhammer, the other a greatsword on their hands. They were covered in a dark armor that seemingly pulsated with red. Dila drew her new bow, even though she doubted it would do much damage against the two devil-like creatures.

Siris jumped on the altar, and again, this time, aiming at the creatures, while spinning to gain momentum to strike them. Shockigly, the armor they were wearing didn`even dent at the blade`s strike. Siris was surprised by this. Then he spun backwards and aimed at the uncovered head of the hammer wielding Daedra.

Dila didn`t loose the tempo. She fired at the other Daedra`s head, but he grabbed it out of the air, breaking it with his bare hands. She fired again, and this time, it could not react as fast as he had. It struck him in the eyeball, but he merely grabbed his eye, hissed a little and then charged at Dila, who was surprised to see what had just happened. She slowly stepped bac, continuously firing arrows back, and with her peripheral vision she could see that Siris was clashed with his own opponent. She could see that he had the upper hand, but she needed to fend of her own opponent before thinking about him.

Seeing that her bow wouldn`t be much of a help in her current situation, she drew her daggers and darted to the Daedra. He was surprised by the sudden change of tactics on the cat`s part, but it didn`t matter. He was going to crush her under his sword anyway.

He swung heavily downwards. She sidestepped the blade and tried to stab the being in his already damaged eye. He managed to narrowly avoid it, and he used the force to turn and extend his own blade, trying to hit the nimble Khajiit. She crouched under the strong swing and went upwards, trying to do the same thing she did to the Wispmother. The Daedra, however, managed to bring his head back, and he followed by bringing the pommel of his sword onto Dila`s stomach. She felt the air being knocked out of her lungs. She held her stomach, trying to keep her balance. The Daedra lifted his heavy weapon with both hands, prepared to bring down the finishing strike.

Suddenly, something wrapped itself on his leg. Something orange.

He looked down and saw the Khajiit`s tail around his lower leg. Suddenly, it pulled back, making him loose his babalnce and fall to the ground, hitting the back of his head on the stone floor. Before he could get up, Dila grabbed his sword and lifted it back up, bringing it down on the demon`s neck, cleanly loping his head off. It rolled on the ground, leaving a small trail of blood. She released the heavy steel sword. She looked at Siris.

He was casually siting on the altar, cleaning his sword, while a shredded pile of remains she suspected was from the Daedra lay by his feet.

- Took your sweet time, Dila? – he said, looking back up at her.

- I`m sorry, oh-great-assassin . I don`t have any sort of otherworldly weaponry here with me. Next time try to do it with your tail.

He innocently held his hands up, laughing at her outburst. He then looked up to the statue.

- So, we`re still alive. Tell me where Razara is. Now.

- He left a message inside my temple. You can come inside.

Dila heard the door lock click and unlock itself. At least the god-like being had saved them the trouble of using lockpicks.

Siris jumped from the altar and opened the door, holding it open to Dila.

- Such a nice man…

- I make exceptions for pretty ladies.

She giggled as she entered, and he followed suit, leaving the door half open. The shrine was but a small cave, with one bigger chamber after a small "hallway". Dila saw that the bigger chamber had a few chests on it. She rushed inside…

… to be greeted by a haze of flames, forcing her to step back to avoid burning her fur. Two other Daedra were inside the temple, but this time, they were wearing robes, as if they were mages. Siris swung his sword at one of them. The blade managed to cut through the ward and severed the red man at the waist. Dila shot at the other, hitting his stomach. He fell on the floor, dead.

Dila stepped past the two Daedra. Siris, however, took out a small dagger and crouched near the body that Dila had shot. He turned his head to her.

- You might want to turn around. This is going to get pretty messy.

She walked to one of the chests, and she heard squishing sounds. She didn`t even want to know what Siris was doing to the corpses. She opened the chest and looked at it`s contents. A few bars of gold were there, alongside a few others of an unknown metal. It was pitch black. She picked one ingot. It weighed about the same as gold.

- Siris, what is this? – she turned around, and droped the ingot, trying not to vomit. – What are you doing?

He looked to her. The Daedra`s chest was opened, and Siris`s hands were bloody red. In his hands, he held something about the size of a fist, filled with fibers.

He was holding a heart.

- Dila, wait a couple of seconds. I can explain this and… is that ebony?

He rushed to the bar that she dropped. He picked it up with his free hand, smearing blood all over it. Dila unconsciously took a step back.

- Yes it is. And… - he stepped past her, looking inside the chest. – Three bars. Dila, I will refrain from… why are you that scared?

She pointed to the heart he was holding.

- Dila, you have no idea how valuable these things are. And, now that I have ebony…

He picked up another bar. Dila saw fire in his eyes.

- I can give you a little present…

00000

- It didn`t go as planned.

Balgruuf sighed. The Legion was not going to be pleased with the news.

- What happeded, Siris? – he asked.

Razara knew about us. He sent another assassin after us. If I had predicted that, I would have done something.

Siris knew that it wasn`t his fault the mission had gone awry. He had no way of knowing that Razar was going to send an assassin after him. Well, he suspected as much, but he never expected it to be Tar-Ma. And he certainly wasn`t expecting to face against the Mace of Molag-Bal. He needed to know how Razara had laid his hands on it, along the Black Star.

- The assassin he sent had a Daedric artifact, as well. One we both know a thing or two about.

- You don`t mean…

- Yes. The Mace.

Siris saw Balgruuf shiver at the mention of the weapon. The Mace had tried to do the same thing Siris`s blade was doing to him to it`s previous owner. And, one day, it had succeded. Siris never forgot the bloodshed that had ensued that night.

And thinking about it again made a shiver run through his own body.

They had arrived in Whiterun when the sun had settled. They were now standing in the main hall of Dragonsreach. Siris felt tired, but he knew that, after giving his own report to Balgruuf, he had one more thing he would do.

- Siris, how is Razara getting his paws on the Artifacts? Last we heard of them, they were safe and unreachable,back in High Hrothgar.

- High Hrothgar? – Dila asked. Siris rememebered he hadn`t told her about the artifacts the Dragonborn carried.

- The Dragonborn had two artifacts with him. – Balgruuf began, straightening up on his throne. – One was the Black Star, of which you already know about. The other was the Mace of Molag-Bal. It is said to steal the souls of every being it kills.

- Balgruuf! That`s it!

Realization had dawned in Siris`s mind. It all made sense.

- What is it, Siris?

- Tar-Ma! He is keeping Krona alive! The Mace is joined with the Star!

Balgruuf`s visage soon accompanied the one in his friend`s face. Of course! How had he not thought about that?

- That`s something, at least. If we can get the Mace back, we save ourselves two problems. There`s nothing else to relay, I suppose? – when both Siris and Dila shook their heads, he nodded and said. – You are both free. Your room in the inn is still there. Or, wait a minute…

Siris and Dila were turning their backs whe Balgruuf called them back. When he turned around again, Balgruuf thre him a key. Siris grabbed it in midair. He looked at it, puzzled. He had seen that key before, he just couldn`t remember when.

- The Dragonborn made you a favour by restoring it. I believe it is now yours. Free of charge. You have done enough to me to deserve it.

Siris smiled when he noticed the letter B eteched in the key. He remembered what it opened.

- Siris, what is this?

- Something better than an inn.

Siris guided her outside. Instead of going to the inn, however, he went down the small stairs on the main garden. Dila had a very confused face. She was probably asking herself they weren`t going to the inn.

They stopped in front of a house, near the entrance of the town. Siris put the key in the lock and turned it, unlocking the door. He entered and gestured Dila to come inside with him. She did.

Siris turned around and saw that the room was pitch black. He took two small stones and approached what he remembered being the centre of the room.

- What is this? Where are we? – he heard behind him. He frictioned the two stones, producing a bright spark and igniting th fireplace.

The room lightened up. Breezehome was just as he remembered it.

Nobody had stirred the house since the last time he had been there, a few months ago. The stock of food had been replenished, no doubt by someone waiting for the return of it`s rightfull owner. He wasn`t returning any time soon, but now, it had a new owner.

Siris.

00000

Dila took another step into the room. She was impressed with the house. It had two stories, and it seemed to be teemingwith things from it`s previous owner. She saw the weapon racks, letting her eyes rest on an orcish broadsword. It`s design was impressive, and it seemed stronger then any other sword she had seen. Apart from Siris`s, of course.

She then shifted her eyes to the shelves. Lots of books were stacked on it. She casually took out one, putting it back into place giggling when she read the title.

"'The Lusty Argonian Maid'? Why would anyone have such a book on his or her house? "

She then saw that Siris had gone to a side room next to the stairs. She followed him. He was leaning against a table. Various phials and bowls were placed in it, and a green liguid took the whole centre of the small piece of furniture. Plants and other sorts of miscellaneous items were hanging in another table.

- Good. – he said. – Nobody took any of my ingredients. And my books and recipies are still here.

- Anything I should take note of?

He turned around, and Dila shot him her smuggest stare. He snickered at that.

- Probably. Have you forgotten that you asked me to give you lessons in the regard of alchemy?

- I haven`t. Have you?

He laughed, and walked to the door, Dila following him closely. He went up the stairs. There were two rooms on that floor: one was separated by a small door, and the other was behind a wooden wall. Siris went through the door in the wooden wall, revealing a large bed, one table, a few chairs, a chest and various decorations on the walls. Dila had no idea the house was that big. It certainly didn`t seem like so on the outside.

She looked longingly at the bed. She was tired and weary, and the bed seemed so very comfortable. She felt Siris`s arm coil around her waist. She smiled, teeth shining. Perhaps her sleep could wait a little bit.

Siris spun her around. He kissed her, and she could fell her want for him growing.

- I need to go take care of a few business, Dila. – he said, breaking the kiss and massaging her head. She groaned at his statement. She wanted him near her. – I`ll be back soon, I promise.

- The last two times you said that, you were either gone for one week and a half or you were assaulted by an assassin.

- Don`t worry. Nothing will happen now. We are safe.

She nooded and he let her go. She held his hand a little bit before he walked out of the small room, closing the door behind him. She turned around and looked at the bed, then back at her armor.

She heard the door slam, and another smile flashed through her muzzle.

- I can at least be presentable when he comes back, now can`t I?

00000

Siris hurried to the alchemy store. He had a great deal of ingredients he had to sell. It was late, and he enetered the shop right as the owner, a young girl named Arcadia could close the shop.

- Siris! – she said, with a juvenile voice. – What brings you to my humble store?

- I came across a few interesting things on my recent travels. – he said, opening his knapsack and showing her the items inside. – Do you need anything?

She took a quick look inside, and her eyes went wide with what she saw.

- Siris, how did you get one Daedra Heart? Or… knock me blind… two?

- Long story. Take one, but the other is not for sale. I need to do something with it.

- I`ll give you 300 septims for it. As for the rest, I can get you 500 on them all.

He took out every item, including the Taproot he had collected from the Spriggan, the Wrappings and the Glow Dust from the Wispmother and one of the Daedra Hearts. Arenia picked them all, putting them in their respective jars and shells and giving him her money. He took it, grateful, and went outside. Now that he had delt with her, he went up to Jorvaskrr.

Instead of going through the door, he took to the left. The mighty Skyforge stood triumphantly in front of him. He went up the stairs. He knew his way around he forge, but he would never do this without a proper forger by his side.

- Seems like you need help, Siris.

He turned around and saw Adriana Avenccini there. She held her arms crossed under her chest.

- I could definitely use some, yes.

- What do you want me to smith? According to my father, now that Eorlund is gone, the Skyforge belongs to me. It is amazing. With my old forge, I was good. But with this? I am unstopabble.

Siris laughed at the woman`s enthusiasm. Yes, Adrianna was a good blacksmith when she was confined to the normal forge. She would be of very good aid here.

- Adrianna, what metals can you use to make weapons?

- Every single metal in all of Skyrim.

- Even ebony?

She turned to him and saw that he held three bars of the black metal in his hands. She smiled. She could make some good quality weapons out of it. Then, she noticed that he was holding something. Something crimson. Her eyes widened when she noticed what it was.

- Is that what I think it is?

- A Deadra Heart. A very rare and costly ingredient for alchemists. But, in the hands of the world`s best forger. – he said, giving her some incentive. – It can be combined with ebony to give birth to…

- A Daedric weapon.

- Exactly. And, if I account correctly, you are now the bes forger in all of the provinces of Tamriel. Right?

She took the heart in her hands.

- Of course.

She took it near the forge. She gently placed the organ in the border of the forge. She would need it later.

- What do you want? A sword? A mace?

- A bow.

She was surprised by that. Siris wasn`t known for his skills with the bow. He was good, yes, but no one was better with a sword than him.

- It`s not for me. It`s for my friend.

- Oh. The Khajiit?

He silently nodded. She laughed and said the words he was so desperate to hear:

- You can go now. You look like you need some rest. I will have this done by tomorrow.

He went happily down the stairs. Then, he strutted back to Breezehome, faster then he thought he should have gone. He was practically running through the streets of the city, wanting to get back to Dila as quickly as possible.

When he arrived back at his new home, he heard a soft humming coming from upstairs. He went up, and slowly opened the door.

Dila was lying on the bed, stark naked, with her head being held up by her left hand. She looked at him with hungry eyes. The tune she was humming went slower and turned into a seductive purr as he stepped closer. She was only wearing her amulet, he didn`t fail to notice.

- You got ready for me? – he said, kneeling in the bed. She knelt too, bringing herself to almost his height.

- Of course I did. I wouldn`t want you sleeping like last time.

- Well, you`ve got my attention. Now let`s see if you can`t maintain it in you…

He closed his eyes and kissed her. The kiss was slow, passionate. She brought her arms to his chest, and slowly slid her hands down his still covered torso. She touched his manhood over his trousers, elicting a soft moan from him.

- Can I take that like a sign you won`t be sleeping? - she asked, sounding half innocent and half sedductingly

- Definitely.

He wraped his arms around her waist and brought himself in for another kiss. Slowly pressing his body against her own, he gently forced her to lay on her back. He took of his coat and shirt and threw the sheets over themselves.

He definatley wasn`t going to sleep that night. At least, not until Dila slept herself.

He hoped that that would take a while.

* * *

**_8,5 out of 9 in the IELTS! DAMN, I`m good._**

**_JK, of course. I will be back shortly. Sorry for the long delay. Exam week, you know the drill..._**

**_Eddy out._**


	19. I Just Love You

Chapter 19:

Dila liked him. She would never deny that.

They were in bed now, finnaly trying to sleep after many hours of… exercising.

She was firmly wraped around his arm, with her head resting on his torso. She could hear slow, steady heartbeats drumming on his chest. The room was dark now. The candles had run out long ago, and they were just lying down in darkness. The sheets were smooth and silky, and the feeling of just lying naked in a bed in which she didn`t have to squeeze to fit was good.

- I love you, Dila.

She looked to him. He was looking at the ceiling, a smile in his mouth. She scutted closer to him.

- Why would you state the obvious like that? – she teased.

- I don`t know. I just love you.

- Why would you say that? – she asked

- It is the first time I really said that out of nowhere, isn`t it? Heh, get used to it.

To her, he was talking nonsense. Sweet nonsense, but nonsense nonetheless.

- Why are you saying that right now?

- For no reason at all.

- Come on.

- I said. I have no reason. I just love you!

Dila was getting out of patience. She was going to get an answer, be it by peace or by war.

- Tell me. Now.

- Na-ah. – he said, holding back a laugh.

- Dila wants an answer!

She silenced herself, eyes wide and blushing. Siris stared at her, equally wide-eyed. Then he broke out in a fit of laughter, which didn`t help her trying to control her shame. She wanted to go live under a stone for the rest of her life. She had always prouded herself in her almost perfect imitation of a man`s manner of speech. To slip up like this, in front of the man that had took her under his wing… claw…

He was laughing so hard his leg was involuntarily curling beneath the sheets. She waited for him to finish and catch his breath. He wiped a tear out of his face and looked at her.

- See what you made me do? I probably woke up half of Whiterun.

- Me? You? Dila… - she stopped herself before Siris could start to laugh again.

He stedied himself before turned to face her. She then punched him in the chest. He coughed, as he wasn`t expecting that.

- That was for making fun of me.

Then she kissed him. He was also surprised by this.

- And that… - she said, resting her head on his chest. – is for saying you love me.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her while her leg rested between his. She breathed in slow. He smelled of the sea, and Dila liked that.

After a few minutes, she finnaly got the rest she needed

00000

Siris woke up the next morning with the constant noise of someone knocking on his door. His eyes lazily opened. He took notice on his surroundings. He was still in Breezehome. The dim sunlight coming from outside illuminated the room lightly.

Dila didn`t seem to mind it, though. She was still asleep. Her left hand was firmly gripping his right shoulder, so that her left arm was laying on his chest. He needed to answer the door, but he might have to wake Dila in the process. The door knocking came back, more insistant this time. He shook Dila slightly and she stirred, letting her eyes open a little bit.

- I have to answer the door. I`ll be right back. – he whispered.

She mumbled something and released his shoulder. He slid of the bed and put his pants back on. He then rapidly went down the stairs and flung the door open.

Adriana was waiting by the doorstep, holdling something wrapped in a leather covering. It took him a moment to remember what she was doing there.

- Adrianna, what are you… - then he noticed that the package was something slightly curved. He rememebered what he had asked to her. – Done already?

- Yes. Took me a while to get started, but after consulting with the old books back at the Skyforge, I finnaly could get started. The trick is to wait for the right time to melt the heart in the forge. You should have seen it. The flames became pure red.

Siris had already heard about the making of Daedric weapons, but he had never been to a forge with a skilled enough blacksmith to make such a weapon. He decided to keep it wrapped for the time being. Dila would want to unwrap it by herself. He took it in his hands, and he felt the almost lightweight bow in his hands. He was sure that most of the weight was from the wrapping. Dila was going to love that present.

- So, Siris, how have you been doing? – she asked. He lifted his gaze up to her.

- Fine, I guess. That is, taking out all attempts on my life. And… - he looed up to the ceiling of his own house. – on hers.

- Oh, so the great hero Siris, brother-in-arms with Skyrim`s savior, has fallen for a Khajiit, huh? – she chuckled at Siris`s expression of what seemed like embarassement and slight annoyance. – Don`t worry, I`m going.

She turned around and left, chuckling as Siris went inside of Breezehome. He layed the bow on the table and went back upstairs, to her. When he entered the room, Dila was still half asleep. Hem made his way to her side again. Before he could doze off, he heard rattling at the door yet again.

"Oh, what is it now?"

He lifted himself up and ran down the stairs. This time, a Legion soldier was waiting for him at the door.

- What do you want, soldier?

The soldier straightened himself, unwrapped a scroll of parchment and began reading what was written in it:

- By the order of General Tulius, I hereby announce that both Siris "Ebony Snake" and Dila "Lynx Eye", for their help in defending Whiterun and for their explotis in Dawnstar, are to be promoted to the rank of Quaestores. Long live the Emperor. Long live the Legion!

Not wanting to waste his superior`s time, the soldier did a turn-tail and walked off. Siris closed the door behind him, smiling at his new promotion. HE looked up the stairs. Dila was there, wrapped in a robe.

- Did I wake you up? – he asked.

- No. – she said, before yawning. She stepped down the stairs. – I figured I should get up. After all, I guess it is late. The Jarl might want to see us.

Her gaze shifted to the wrapping on the table. She lifted one side of her brow.

- That thing wasn`t here last night, was it?

- No. – he smirked. She stepped closer to it. – But you can open it if you would like.

She eyed him, a little confused. Then she took the package in her hands.

- Siris, what are you…

She accidentally pulled on one string, and the wrapping came loose. She looked at the now exposed bow, and her face changed to an expression of surprise Siris had never seen before.

She was mesmerized.

00000

"It is… so beautiful… "she thought.

The bow was black, but it somehow had red designs etched deep inside the metal it was made from. The design of the bow was recurve, and it had spikes in it. She didn`t know what was their purpose, but they did look sharp. The bowstring had a notch made of ebony, to let her shoot better. The string sang when she gave it a small pinch. The vibration spread to her arms, and, just as quickly as the morning fog came and went, it steadied itself again.

She loved it.

Siris cought up to her expression, and came near her.

- Like it?

- Siris, Siris… - she placed the bow on the table. - …you re going to stop giving me presents. You are spoiling me!

He laughed and picked her up. She laughed as he spun them both. They were happy for the moment. That is, until Dila`s tail knocked a tankard from the table. They stopped spinning.

- Oh! I`m sorry, Siris. Forgive my clumsiness.

- Oh, don`t worry about it, clumsy cat. – he said, touching his nose to hers. – I`ll take care of that, later. Now, we should test out that new bow of yours.

He released her, and she finaly succeded in not falling backwards. She picked the bow and went to the door.

- Dila, aren`t you forgetting something?

- No. Why?

- You are still using robes.

She looked down. She had completely forgotten about it. She stepped past Siris, and heard him say from downstairs:

- Not that I mind, but I think that a few mothers might complain.

She chuckled while she put on her armor. She then went down the stairs and out of the door, with Siris following her merely a few feet behind her. A few guards wolf whistled at her, and she was not sure if they were admiring her or her bow.

"Sorry, boys. Both are already taken."

The walk to Dragonsreach was uneventful, to say the least. When they arrived, they went to the guards`s training grounds. They weren`t being used at the moment, so she could test the bow all she wanted without anyone harassing her.

She picked an arrow and placed it at the notch. She drew the bow, and could almost feel the tension building in the string. She took aim at the centre of the target, and split her fingers, releasing the arrow.

It flown so rapidly she couldn`t even see it, and it not only hit the centre of the target, but pierced through it, coming out on the other side of it and flying over the walls of the city. Her jaw droped in an "o" shape.

"By all the grains of sand in Elsweyr! How is a bow supposed to do that."

She squinted her eyes and saw that the arrow was still traveling, a small black spec lost in the sky. She laughed at the shher power that elegant bow had. What a present had Siris given her.

- Seems like you can hunt across Skyrim, no? – he said, chuckling. He was also squinting, trying to see the arrow.

- I wish. That way, I could kill Ulfric right here and now. Would save us a lot of trouble, wouldn`t it?

- I had no idea that thing was so powerfull. I can at least sell your elven bow, can`t I?

She looked at him. He was almost begging. Hadn`t he ade enough money already?

- I thought it would have made for fantastic decoration. Why? You didn`t?

He was going to say something, but stopped before a sound could leave his mouth. He had probably figured he wouldn`t be able to talk her out of it. She took out another arrow, but this time, she didn`t aim for the target. She aimed to the right and fired at the wall.

Even though the arrow was fairly simple, it drove through the stone, impaling the stone until it was half buried in the strong rock. She was very satisfied with the bow. It would prove very handy in future battles.

Figuring that Siris wasn`t probably enjoying this as mucha as she was, she prompted them to go to Dragonsreach to see how the Jarl was doing. He happily obliged, and they walked to the manor.

Unfortunately, Balgruuf didn`t have any leads on Razara or anything else. It seemed like the Legion was preparing for an offensive further into Stormcloak territory, but they hadn`t send anything to the both of them, so they were pretty much confined to the city waiting for new orders. Krona hadn`t even shown herself in the past days, and all seemed calm and quiet. Siris, however, didn`t seem to like that.

- What`s the matter? – she asked him, when they went outside again.

- In my training, you are tought to always be on your guard. Doubly so when everything seems calm.

- Gods, Siris. Just relax a little. We have all the time we want, now. Sure we could find something to invest it into.

She said that last thing with probably more seductiveness than she wanted, because Siris immediately focused on her and smiled.

- Any ideas? – he asked, closer to her ear.

Maybe those alchemy lessons you promised me?

- Oh. – he said, retreating half embarrassed. – I can do that.

She laughed and turned his head around with her hand, kissing him when he was fully facing her.

Just then she realized.

She didn`t just like him.

She truly and deeply loved him. But she didn`t know why.

She just loved him...

* * *

**_Yeah...I`m sorry that this chapter contains little to no plot at all. I just hit that dreadfull place people call Writer`s Block, and one of the tips I picked up was writing things that come out of your mind would help that._**

**_So, yeah. Consider this chapter filler_**

**_Sorry again..._**

**_(please don`t flame me)_**


	20. Alchemy Lessons

_**WARNING! WARNING!**_

_**This chapter has a cruel scene. No joke, guys. It made me change the rating to M. Please, if you feel offended by it, PM me.**_

**_Let`s just say Razara is a much bigger a-hole than what I had planned._**

**_One a happy side note, I am proud to inform you that , after ramming my head against it repeatedly, I finnaly managed to turn that Writer`s Block into smithereens. Yay!_**

**_While I am at it, I would like to point you all to another fick I have been reading a lot. It`s called Night Eye, and it is written by -my friend Skyflower. His story is a bit different from mine, but his Argonian-Khajiit pair is really, really good. Check it out._**

**_On with the chapter..._**

* * *

Chapter 20:

- Ach!

- Stop that! You aren`t going to help me by thrashing around! Crybaby…

Tar-Ma gritted his teeth. He was back at the Shadowscale base. He had gone there after his fight with Siris. His room was a simple alcove with a bed, with a portrait of his sister hanging in one of the walls, illuminated by a single torch.

Kandella had offered to help him recover from his wounds. He had accepted, but was starting to regret it. Kandella was not proficient in Restoration Magic, and it showed. The sensation was usually of tingling numbness, but she somehow made it hurt.

- If you were any good at this, I wouldn`t be thrashing about!

- Then why don`t you heal by yourself? I`m sure you can just stuff yourself full of potions again!

- I told you, I can`t…

- What is going on here? – came a voice from outside the door.

They both froze in place, and Kandella`s magic slowly began to fade away. That voice was known throughout the whole base as something you would never want to hear.

Razara wasn`t happy about something.

- It`s nothing, boss. – Tar-Ma said, regaining a little bit of courage. – Kandella was just helping me with my wounds.

Silence followed. They were sure Razara was still outside the door. They could see a small shadow under the door.

- Boss?

- Carry on. – Razara said. The door opened just a little, but they could see one silver slit eye looking at them by it. – Kandella, I will need to see you at my room in two hours.

The door creaked back and closed. Tar-Ma let out a heavy sigh. He had been holding his breath. Razara had been acting strange for the past days, ever since Siris had escaped. Tar-Ma`s failure in his mission did nothing to improve his odd behavior. Kandella sat by the larger Argonian.

- What could he possibly want? – she asked. Kandella was young, but she was showing remarkable progress in her progress as an assassin. She specialized in the School of Illusion, but was good in Destruction as well. Her yellow eyes contrasted with her dark green skin. Her head was adorned with Argonian "hair", light green in color. She was attractive, by Argonian standards.

- I don`t know. – Tar-Ma replied, bluntly. – Now leave. I need to sleep.

She got up from the bed and heavily stomped out of the room, slamming the door. Tar-Ma blew out the torch and slid underneath the covers of his bed, falling to sleep thinking of how he would kill Siris when he managed to finnaly meet him again…

00000

Razara was reviewing his plans of attack. Whiterun was beginning to become an annoyance to him. That hold system was begging to get on his nerves. It was all so much simpler when he could walk through Cyrodiil with only one bounty on his head. Now he had to keep track of eight.

"I can`t order a large scale attack on the city. Nor can I expect Krona to do all the work. I need to send someone else."

"Why don`t you go yourself, lizard?"

Razara turned around and looked at the knife impaled on the table. The Mehrunnes Razor was a splendid dagger. The ability to kill instantly was also a good perk for an assassin like him, who didn`t like wandering around the crime scene.

- Because I can`t go without Siris recognizing me, Dagon. If not, Whiterun wouldn`t have lasted long.

He heard a fit of laughter in his mind. Dagon was the a good advisor, and his personality matched Razara`s. He doubted Siris had good realtions with his Ebony Blade.

"I see. Behind you"

Razara picked the knife up and, with one swift movement, threw it at the door. He saw the knife impale itself right in front of Kandella`s muzzle. She froze, door half open.

Razara chuckled. The he walked to the fear-stricken Kandella and removed the kife from the wooden surface.

- I see you have arrived. I am sorry, I am a little on edge since Siris took his leave.

Kandella relaxed. She was still tense. Razara closed the door and she stepped further in. His room was more ample than the rest of the Sahdowscales, and had it`s own fireplace and desk, in which a few book were open, though the girl couldn`t decipher what they meant. Razara locked the door and put a muffle spell on it. Then he approached Kandella.

- Why did you call me, Razara? – she said, tense. He put his hands on her shoulders. They were rock hard.

- I? Oh, I simply want to know what you were thinking of our operations.

She turned around. Razara could see worry in her eyes. She saw something else in his, and slapped his hand of her shoulder. Then, she walked to the door. Razara laughed when she tried to open it, and she became frantic when she saw she couldn`t. She even tried using her foot to use her whole body`s weight to force the door. Razara picked her up and threw her on the bed, following her when she tried to get up, pressing her onto the bed with his body. She clawed at his face, trying to keep him out of her. Her screams just stimulated him further. He reduced her clothes to shreds, before he forcefully entered her. She screamed .

He laughed at her. He was going to get what he wanted. He always did…

00000

- Now, what did I told you?

- Don`t eat the butterfly wings… - she said, with a hand on her stomach.

- No. I said don`t eat the blue ones.

Dila was sitting in a corner, after she had "accidentally" eaten a pair of Blue butterfly wings. She had made a mistake: the wings had let her drained, and she couldn`t muster sufficient strength to lift her arm. If that wasn`t enough, she had a stomach-ache.

Siris had taken her into the alchemy room back in Breezehome, and had begun to teach her how to make simple potions. He had told her what each ingredient did, and how to combine them. He had told her which were dangerous to eat, and when he had told her that she shouldn`t eat blue butterfly wings, she almost laughed at his face. How could one thing, so tiny and small, hurt her? It was that defiance that brought her to her current state.

Siris took a small bowl filled with something white. He approached it of Dila`s nose.

- Smell this. – he said.

She did. The powder entered her nostrils and she coughed a little, before she felt her strength reurning to her.

- What was that? – she said, getting up.

- Powdererd mammoth tusks. Weren`t you paying attention to anything I was saying?

She shuffled her feet and looked at the floor. Siris huffed, and then laughed, shaking his head.

- No wonder you ate those damn wings.

- This is boring. When are we going to start making potions?

He laughed again. Then, he led her to the table again. She leaned over it, hovering her hands over the many ingredients available to her. Seemigly noticing her unsureness, he glues his body to her back and held her wrists, guiding her.

- What do you want to make?

- I don`t know. What are we lacking?

- Hmm…

His hands made hers hover over the ingredients for a while, before he decided to take another kind of butterfly wing. He placed them inide a glass. He then picked up some mushrooms and put them on the same glass.

- This is a recipe for a simple health potion. Simple, but effective.

He made her place the contents from the glass into a small wooden bowl. Then, he directed her to a small wooden cylinder, and made her crush the ingridients. The mushroom and the wings turned into a fine powder.

- Blisterwort and Monarch Wings. Seeing these two as they are now, nobody would have believed that they have saved my life many times. True, in this merely mashed form, they wouldn`t do anything if eaten. But…

He made her click a small mechanism and placed the bowl underneath a channel on the table. The green, bubbly liquid contained there ran through the channel and drooled over the mashed ingredients.

- With the Universal Fluid, it turns into a lifesaver.

He rapidly poured the mix into a glass and left it by the side of the table for a little while. Dila turned to face him. She placed her hands on the table behind her as he leaned closer.

- And what a life did it save… - she said.

- Was that supposed to be a compliment?

- I don`t know…

- Oh, I am not falling for that game.

He leaned further and kissed her. She released the table and grabbed him instead. He spun and pressed her against the wall, not so gently. She moaned.

- Feeling rough today, huh?

- Maybe I am, Dila. What are you going to do about it?

She smiled and kissed him. His hands knocked out a flower from the table. He broke the kiss and crouched to pick it up.

- This is a rare flower, Dila. One of the most beautiful too. – he said, lifting the flower up to her face. It was strange but beautiful flower. – It`s called Dragon`s Tongue…

He paused, and furrowed his brows.

- Dragon… Dragon…

Then he released Dila, jumping back in surprise and realization. He brought his hands to his head.

- By the Hist! Why didn`t I think of this before?

He put the flower back on the table and stormed out of the room. Dila, confused, followed him. That was the second time he had left her like that. She could understand the first, after all he had been fighting and was tired. But now it made no sense. She voiced her concearn to him as he picked his sword from the rack in the wall.

- Siris, why did you do that?

- Sorry, Dila, but I just might have found out our next travelling place. Grab your gear. I`ll need to stop by Dragonsreach to inform the Jarl of our leaving.

- Where are we going?

He stoped and turned to her. Then he gave her a sly smile.

- Think you can handle some stairs?

00000

The small town of Ivarstead was almost empty. Siris remembered the first day he had arrived at the town.

"How long has it been since? A year?"

- Can we please stop now?

He turned around. He had almost forgotten about Dila. She had been silent during the entire trip to the town, and now he could see why. The treacherous roads to Ivarstead were filled with curves, trails through the forests and steep falls to the river below. If Siris had fallen, he could at least dive and breathe normally, but Dila wasn`t trained to that sort of situation, and she would almost likely fall on one of the sharp rocks below.

Of course, Dila. It may not seem like it, but I am tired as well. And… - he looked at the mountain across the bridge. – I can`t climb the Seven Thousand Steps tired, now can I?

She looked at him with an incredulous face, pointing at the mountain, then at it`s top, back at Siris, before lowering her hand and, shaking her head, walking to the inn. Siris laughed and followed her.

Vilemyr Inn hadn`t changed a bit since Siris`s last visit. Willhelm was still serving that same old mead Siris had had the distaste to drink. The inn was cozy enough for them to spend the night. Siris gave the innkeeper ten septims for a room.

- You are lucky, Siris. Not many pilgrims this time of year means I have free rooms for you.

- Lucky me.

He took the key and went ot the room that he had pointed, with Dila lazily dragging her feet to follow him. The room was smaller than their previous room at the Bannered Mare, but that meant it was warmer. Siris closed the door. He hugged Dila.

- Tired? – he asked.

- Yes.

- Want me to "just hold you"?

- You are never going to let me forget that, are you?

- No.

They layed in the bed, side by side. Dila scooted closer to Siris.

- Why are we here, Siris? – she asked, with her head buried in his chest.

We are visiting an old friend of mine. Unfortunatley for you, he lives on top of the Throat of The World. We will be climbing up there tomorrow. But tonight, we should rest.

- Tell me about this friend of yours, love. – she said.

Siris looked at her. Wasn`t she tired?

- He gave up his name, people only call him one thing now. For the whole of Skyrim, he is the Dragonborn.

Dila looked up at him, only her eyes visible.

- And how did you met him? – she asked.

- We met in Riverwood. I had recently arrived in Skyrim, and was looking for a place for myself. I had walked for days ad finnaly managed to find a small village in the Whiterun Hold. I stayed there for the night, but when I arrived, I saw that I wasn`t the only new man in town. Soeone had arrived, together with a Stormcloak soldier. A Nord. I was still new to the land, like you, and I had no idea about the civil war. Then, to complicate my situation, I was informed about something worse than Imperial or Stormcloak soldiers had arrived in Skyrim: Dragons.

Dila looked up at him again.

- They told the Dragonborn, who at the tie didn`t know that he was Dragonborn, to go to Whiterun inform the Jarl of what had happened. I had nothing to do in Riverwood, so I agreed to go with him. We became friends and comrades-in-arms. He was a fierce warrior, Dila. He used the biggest battleaxeI had have ever seen like it was a stick. We fouht many things together. From mudcrabs to the Dragons themselves. We explored every inch of this land. We collected immensurable amounts of treasure. We…

A vibration in his chest made him stop. He looked down and saw that Dila had fallen asleep in the middle of his tale. He laughed and threw the sheets over them. Tomorrow he would finish his story.

Tonight he needed to rest.


	21. Dragonborn

Chapter 21:

Dila woke up and stretched. Her hand bumped on Siris. She wasn`t too preoccupied. He was probably awake. She stepped over him and went to the ground. She stretched her legs, getting ready for the climbing she was supposed to do that day. She yawned and turned, expecting to find Siris looking at her.

But he continued in the same postion, with his arms now over the spot were she had been, trying to hold something that wasn`t there.

She turned him around, and saw that his eyes were still closed. He was drawing breath in a slow and steady rythym. Siris was sleeping. She had finaly woken up before him.

" He is letting his guard down near me." She thought. "He is opening up."

She put her fingers on top of her amulet, smilling. Her smile got bigger when she thought that he wasn`t going to wake up soon. She went to his knapsack and took out a charcoal. She giggled as she approached him.

00000

Siris slowly opened his eyes. He sat up, scratching his back. He looked around, but he coudln`t see Dila anywhere. He got up, straightened his coat and went to eat something.

The inn`s eating place had few people. When he walked across them, they sometimes stifled a laugh or almost chocked at the ale they were drinking. Siris shot them a suspiscious look, and spotted Dila. She was sitting at a table, absent mindedly nibbling a salmon fillet. He went to her table and sat down.

- Good morning. – he said.

She looked up and put her hand in front of her mouth, alost spitting her salmon. He looked at her, puzzled.

- What happened to you people? Did I turn into a jester and didn`t notice?

Her laughter only increased, and she released her hand from her face. She managed to swallow her fish, and began to laugh harder.

"Has she gone insane?"

- Dila, what happened? – he was getting worried.

She didn`t respond. She just took out a charcoal. An idea formed in Siris`s mind.

- Oh, you didn`t… - he began. Than, he hailed the innkeeper. – A bowl of water!

The innkeeper rapidly brought him one, and he looked at his reflection. Two large and thick circles were drawn around his eyes, a big beard like design on his chin, and a swirling circle on the top of his head. He closed his eyes, as Dila laughed even harder.

- I`m going to let this one slide, Dila. – he said, throwing some water in his face. – Just this once.

- Well, it wasn`t my fault that I woke up early, Siris. Next time, don`t let your guard down.

- I won`t, oh-wise-one. But don`t let your guard down either. – he said, adding his best chuckle to the phrase.

She stopped laughing at his phrase and looked at him. He laughed this time, his face now bare of any marks.

- No need to be constantly on guard. I`m not cruel.

He picked one of the salmon steaks and put it into his mouth. The fish was slightly charred, but he was famished. He eagerly ate another strip, before wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

- Charming. – Dila said.

- Hey, it works, so why bother. Have you paid for that already?

She nodded.

- Then let`s go.

They got up and left the inn. The sun wasn`t shining like he hoped it would be. Instead, it was covered by grey clouds. He snapped his tongue, cursing the fact that he didn`t have a cloak with him anymore. Dila would have to walk close to him again. Not that she`d have much of a choice anyway. The ways up the mountain were too narrow for two people to walk side by side, unless they were touching. And he was sure that Dila didn`t mind it, also

They crossed the bridge. Siris noticed that the old stone etched tablet was still where it should be.

Siris crouched near it and blew the dust from the readings.

"Before the birth of men, the Dragons ruled all Mundus;

Their word was the Voice, and they spoke only for True Needs;

For the Voice could blot out the sky and flood the land"

Siris laughed. He remembered the first time he came across the tablet. He was journeying with his friend, and they had been called by the Greybeards . It had been right after they had slain that first dragon. Siris remembered he had never felt that afraid in his entire life. A dragon, swooping down, trying to catch him with it`s claws? He`d prefer go against Razara and the Shadowscales again. But after that, feeling the pride that came after their victory, getting drunk telling stories at the inn with his friend. That had been a night to remember.

He felt Dila touch his shoulder, signaling that it was time to head up. He rose and walked up the path.

- Come on. – he said, turning toward her. – We have a long day ahead of us.

They began their ascent toward High Hrothgar. A few goats occasionally passed alon them. Dila shot one. They would need dinner, and Siris`s gold was beginning to get thinner. He would have to go to Riften to get more money from Black-Briar. They would probably wait there until the Legion gave them more orders. Since The Rift was now officially Empire controlled territory, they could clear the bounties on their heads. Another thing quickly passed through Siris`s mind when he remembered Riften, but he quickly dismissed it.

" No, no, no. That would never work."

He looked at her.

" But I really wish it did…"

00000

It was midday when they heard a strange hissing sound. Siris forced Dila to go back-to-back with him, drawing his sword on the process. She got her new bow from her back and notched an arrow. They were surrounded by no cover at all. To their left, a sheer pit, and to their right, a massive rock wall. Whatever was hissing at them had to be on the trail.

Suddenly, a snake like…thing…appeared in front of Dila. It was floating, and below it , a small icecycle stuck up from the ground. Dila released the arrow she had been preparing. It went right through the head of the creature, making it dissentegrate onto a small pile of ash on the snowy hill, which was quickly blown away by the wind. Siris swung his balde downwards, and sliced two of the creatures in half. The wind once again scattered the remains of the monsters. Sirirs sheathed his blade.

- What were those, Siris? –Dila asked, putting her bow back in her back. She was really enjoying using that bow. It felt so light, and yet so powerfull.

- Ice Wraiths. They are formed out of ice and air, blended together by a soul that hasn`t left Nirn. – he stated. Then, he put his hand under his chin. – Last time I was here, it were wolves, not Ice Wraiths, on this mountain. Perhaps they came here after Alduin died.

Without looking back, he began walking uphill again. Dila looked at the remaining ashes. Nothing was left. She jogged up to Siris. She might not show it, but she was actually afraid of the height. She quickly caught up with him. He smiled when she appeared by his side. The mountain was still treachourous, but soon, they came across a small flat place in the mountain.

- Let`s rest here before we go on. I am afraid that I will drop on the ground if I continue onward without stoping.

- I think we can both agree on that.

Dila slumped against one of the trees. The way up had been brutal. They had crossed over to the snowy session of the mountain long ago, and Dila hadn`t had time to properly appreciate the view.

She had to admit it, though. The sight was marvelous. The raw beauty of Skyrim was stunning. She could see far off in the distance. The plains of Whirterun, the forests surrounding the mountain, all of it was just an intoxicating painting of color. She sat on the fresh snow, admiring the landscape. Siris joined her.

- Beautiful, isn`t it?

- Yup.

- I wasn`t talking about the view, you know?

- I supposed as much, Siris. – she said, smiling.

- Caught your breath already? – when she nodded affirmatively, he continued. – Then come on. We`re almost there.

They began walking again. It wasn`t long before they were both approaching their destination.

The building was impressive. The walls of what looked like a monastery, battered by ages of furious winds and snow, were standing proudly atop the passage. A chest was located by the stairs, which curved upward to lead to the heavy stone door of the monastery.

- This is it, I suppose? – Dila said.

- Yes. It`s been quite a long time since I have last been here, but nothing`s changed.

- How long?

- A year. But the important part of this trip isn`t me.

He walked up the stairs. He placed both hands on the door.

- It`s what is behind this door.

He pushed them open, and almost immediately, he was flung on the air by a blue shockwave, landing again near Dila, sliding with the momentum for another couple of meters. Dila drew her bow, taking a step back. She was surprised enough to see Siris fly in the air all of a sudden, but she was sure she had heard something. Like someone had… shouted something.

Then, almost as quickly as Siris had been knocked out of the ground, a grey clad figure literally sprinted as quickly as the wind out of the door, landing near Siris. Dila again heard that weird scream. It sounded like it had a meaning, one she couldn`t decipher.

As Siris was rising out of the ground, the figure put a knee on his chest, approaching a dagger to his throat. Siris rapidly raised his leg, kicking him in the head and sending the enemy cartwheeling back. They engaged in a grapple.

- Give me back my weapons! – the grey spectre screamt, with his hands around Siris`s neck. Siris had his hands around his too.

- St…stop! – Siris pleaded. – Stop. Vigfus, it`s me! Siris!

The robed man loosened his grip around Siris`s neck. Then he released him. Dila unnotched her arrow. She had been nervous about firing it while they were still struggling, afraid to hit Siris. She was on the verge of releasing it when they stopped.

- It`s been long, Vigfus. – Siris said, now with a smile on his lizard face. – Or better yet, Dragonborn…

00000

Razara sat up. Indifferent to the whimpering form on his bed, he stood up, grabbed his pants and his vest from the ground. He quickly and efficiently dressed himself. Kandella assumed a fetal position underneath the covers. He rubbed her shoulder, not gently like a lover, but like her master and superior.

- Out of here. Now. – he said to her. She curled herself further. He chuckled emptily at her vain attempts to keep him away from her. – If you insist on stayin, then maybe we could have some more fun.

Her back visibly hardened as he said that. She brought the covers near her face. She hadn`t been so childish in bed. Razara had never seen a woman thrash and claw at him so much. He liked that.

- If you hadn`t fought so much, I`m sure you would have enjoyed it as much as I did.

Her self-consciousness was lost that very moment. A string of Argonian curses flew from her mouth. Some of which Razara didn`t even recognize. His patience had been tested enough. When she finished, he threw the blankets away and threw her clothes over her. Or what was left of her.

- I told you to go away. Now. Don`t make me repeat myself.

She silently stood up and covered herself up the best she could. She then left the room, slamming the door as she went out. She was sill crying.

"Was that really necessary?"he heard it in his head. He turned to the dagger now lying on the table.

- No. But I needed some stress relief to take my head of the world. If I ever need some more, at least I know who to call.

He sat by his desk again, still trying to figure out a way to get Siris. He needed to think about something. Siris and that Khajiit of him were becoming quite a nuisance rather quickly.

- Wait. – he said to himself. Then he grinned, a smile that split his face in two. – The Khajiit…

00000

- How have you been, Siris? – the Dragonborn asked.

- I`ve been good. Been better, but still.

Siris drank another mouthful of ale. The warming sensation brought him some relief from the bitter cold of High Hrothgar.

- And what about you, Khajiit? – he asked Dila, who had passed on the ale to drink some water instead. She was silently observing the shelves filled with books. – What`s your story?

- Oh, let`s just say we met under difficult situations. One thing led to another and … - she trailed of when she noticed what the conversation was leading to.

Siris laughed at her attempt to hide their relationships.

- Dila, it`s okay. I trust my Nord friend here more than anyone in this land. Well, except you, of course. – he said, to her, before turning and facing Vigfus. – We have been.. how can I say it... more than simple comrades.

Vigfus laughed at that. His long blonde hair had been cut shorter, and had darkened. His beard, on the other hand, had grown longer. He had changed his normal ebony armor to the Greybeards robe. Siris hadn`t seen the armor, so he assumed he had put it in a display somewhere. Same with his weapons. Except the one that still mattered.

Voldrendung was still in the corner of the room. The hammer`s green glow had dimmed, but Siris knew that if the Dragonborn touched it again, it would reclaim it`s killing power.

- Good for you, Siris! I knew you would settle down sometime soon, just like I did.

- About that, Vigfus, I think I may still have some fight in me before I settle down. And, in fact, I would like to know why in Oblivion you attacked me.

Vigfus`s face grew a little darker at that.

- A few months ago, an Argonian was spotted sneaking out of the monastery. When I checked my stash, I realized he had taken a few of my most valuable items. Including the Star and…

- The Mace. I know, I fought against it already.

- When I was training my Aura Whisper, I noticed a life patern similar to that of the Argonian caught sneaking out of here. We didn`t catch him, obviously, but I managed to catch his aura. When I thought it was you, I immediately lashed out and attacked.

- It`s okay, really. I didn`t break anything.

- What about that sword on your back?

- This? – he said, signaling the Ebony Blade. – Balgruuf gave it to me when my old sword broke.

- Balgruuf? That old man still up and kicking? – Vigfus chuckled.

- Yes, and he managed to pick sides in the war, finnaly. We could actually use your help, Vigfus. We need good soldiers.

Vigfus smile dropped after that. Siris knew he shouldn`t have said that.

- You know I can`t do that now, Siris. I swore upon not taking sides in the dispute for the land. Especially now, that I am a Greybeard.

- I know but…

- Siris, a no is a no. –Dila rapidly cut in, feeling that discussing wouldn`t help the much. – But anyway, Dragonborn, would you care on enlighten me, how did you throw Siris in the air like that?

The Dragonborn looked at her with a puzzled face, cocking his head to the side. Then he looked back at Siris.

- Is she…

- New to the land? Quite. – he said, backing against his chair. – She hadn`t even heard of you. She doesn`t know what the Voice is.

Well, I can`t really explain to you what the voice is, Dila. Even I don`t really know what it is. I just know it is the way that Dragons communicate. – he said. Dila leaned in closer, interested in the subject. – All I know, a few individuals in every generations is born with the capabilities of speaking like a Dragon. Those are the Dragonborn.

Siris listened, quite disinterested, as his friend explained to Dila what the Words of Power worked. He had already heard the explanation a thousand times, and he was sure a thousand more would still follow. He leaned back further, equilibrating his chair on one of it`s feet. He rocked forward and back, looking at the ceiling*.

He felt someone push his chest just a little.

He came crashing down on the stone floor.

- Ouch! – he yelled. Dila was whole heartedly laughing, with her hands on her sides. Vigfus was following her. Siris laughed to. – It`s good to see that your sense of humor is still intact, friend. Those Greybeards couldn`t sap everything from you, I see.

He sat again on the chair, laughing. Then he took a swig of ale.

- Back to business then. – Vigfus said. – Why did you come all the way up here.

- We came to ask the thing you already told us. Your weapons have been stolen by a member of the Shadowscales. I need to find their base of operations before I do anything else. Are you sure you can`t help me?

- Yes. I am sorry, Siris, but I can`t leave High Hrothgar. I swore the oath to stay here, in exile of the land, to meditate upon the Way of the Voice. Please don`t insist, Siris.

Siris noticed his friend`s voice was riddled with sourness. Heknew there was no point on pressing him to do something he didn`t want to do. At times, Vigfus seemed like a mountain like the one they were in: unyielding and, quite frankly, stubborn to a fault. Siris got up and tapped at his friend`s shoulder. He, however, continued to be sitted.

- We are leaving, then. No point in overstating our welcome.

He began to walk to the door, and Dila hopped right after him.

- Siris. – Vigfus said. – I am sorry.

- I know, friend. – he said, sadly.

00000

Tar-Ma awoke. He was thirsty.

He got up opened the door. He heard something, coming from another room. It was Kandella`s. He got closer and put his ear to the door. It seemed like she was crying. The door was open, so he slowly opened it.

Kandella was in bed, her back turned to him. Her breathing was being cut by sobbing, and he could see that her clothes were almost reduced to nothing.

- Kandella? - he said, taking another step into her room.

She curled further.

- G…get out of here. – she said, sobbing.

- What happened?

- I SAID GET OUT!

She flung an empty potion vial at him. He dodged it and it shattred in the wall behind him. He barely had time to turn around when another vial came again. He grabbed it in midair. He closed the door with his other hand. The last thing he wanted was waking up the entire base.

She seemed to calm down after that. She slumped back to the bed. He cautiously made his way to her. He sat on the bed.

- What happened? – he asked again.

- Razara… he… - she said, turning around to face the wall. Unconsciously, she put her hands between her legs. – He raped me.

She broke out into a full fit of crying. He didn`t know what to do. HE just sat there, mulling over the thoughts. Razara knew that an assassin needed to be in his or her top mental condition to kill efficiently. Distractions or interferences usually led to disaster.

"Then why, by the Twin Moons, did he do this to her."

Kandella slowly cried herself to sleep. Seeing that the clothes she had on her were not going to protect her from the cold, he got up and covered her with the blankets. He quietly made it out of the room. Thinking a little, he turned and headed up to Razara`s room.

"What is he thinking?"

When he arrived, Razara was writing soething on a piece of paper. He could see the bed was ruffled.

- Ah, Tar-Ma, you arrived. – he said, without turning to him – I was going to wait until morning to brief you, but since you seem to be awake, I can do so now. You and Kandella…

- Kandella? You mean the girl you just abused? – he snarled.

Razara dropped the quill with which he had been writing. He put his hands on the table and got up. Tar-Ma felt something odd. Razara irradiated a feeling that left him… afraid? Anxious? He turned, and his gaze met Tar-Ma`s.

- Yes. That girl. – he said. Tar-ma was surprised. He had thought Razara would try to cover this up. – Do you have a problem with that?

Tar-Ma shuddered. Was his boss getting crazy? Being cold was part of the profession, but damn, that man was turning into an iceberg.

- N..No, boss.

- Good. As I was saying, you and Kandella would make for a team, now that Dead-Aim is… well… dead. I will be sending a raven to my source in Whiterun. When the time comes, I want you both, along the rest of the Shadowscales ready to deploy. Understood?

- Yes sir. – Tar-Ma said. Even though Razara was smaller then him, he was a much better assassin. If Tar-MA tried to fight or even argue with him, Razara would kill him with his bare hands. He chose his next words carefully. – If I may, why did you do that to Kandella.

Razara paused for a brief second. Then, he simply shot:

- Because I wanted to. – seeing that Tar-Ma`s eyes widened, he continued. – Why? Do you need a better explanation? You don`t doubt my decisions, be they combat tactics or which women I choose to sleep with. Am I clear?

Tar-Ma nodded. He found the word for the sensation he was feeling. He was terrified.

- Now go. I need to finish this letter.

Tar-Ma bowed and left the room. He stopped for a bit in the staircase and rubbed his temples.

"In what have I gotten myself into. Now i`ll need to sleep with an eye open." he went down the stair, silently. He wanted to forget about that night.

Thirsty or not, he was going to bed.

* * *

*_**That actually happened to me once. Let`s just say my friend could never eat without a straw after that...**_


	22. Unexpected Plans

Chapter 22:

Dila had been thinking about recent events. As they calmly walked across the forests, she recalled the events that had took place in Whiterun. They hadn`t heard of Krona in a while now. She wondered what she was doing.

"Well, what do the dead do when they aren`t dead?"

Somehow, she manged to get herself lost in her own logic. She shook her head, confused.

- You okay? – Siris asked, turning to face her. She looked at him again. – You look… strange? Have you eaten something that didn`t make you feel good again?

She strode past him, huffing. He chuckled, but was soon running to reach her.

- Hey, hey, hey!– he said, when he finally reached her. – I`m sorry! I didn`t mean to offend you.

She let out a "humph" at his apologies, and turned her head when he circled her to try and say something to her face.

- Look, I`m sorry. What can I do to apologize?

She smiled and walked past him, letting her tail brush on the inner side of his thigh. He shuddered and smiled.

- Minx. – he said.

- You are going to have to apologize for that one too, you know?

He chuckled. Then they resumed side by side. Dila entangled her hand on Siris`s.

- Boy, you are moody today, aren`t you? Is that going to last all day, just the morning, or should I get worried?

- Probably not, Siris. That is… - she said. – Unless you want to do something behind my back that would leave me really, really, mad at you.

They stayed in silence for a little while. Then, Dila noticed they had been walking in the wrong direction.

- Siris, any unexpected plans you forgot to mention?

- Yes. I am finally out of money. So we have two options: we either go back to Riften, or you sell that pretty little circlet in your bag.

She hugged her knappsack. No. That was the only thing she wouldn`t be parting from. She inwardly laughed at her childishness.

- Why Riften again?

- You are going to meet Black-Briar.

- Black-Briar? Isn`t that the woman who gave you the letter for the Legion?

- Exactly. Though I don`t believe you will be thanking her much longer when you meet her.

Dila was going to try and pry him into giving out more information on that last phrase, but decided against it. For all she knew, Black-Brair was terrible woman. Irileth had told her about her past deals with Siris and the Thieves Guild.

With the thought of Irielth, Dila`s mind began wondering about Whiterun. They had left it quite suddenly. With Krona around, they would have to keep on their toes. Siris had told them about Krona`s expertises when she was still an assassin, but he didn`t know anything about her new abilities. Dila remembered the sick image of her twisting her arm completely. She shuddered slightly, not enough for Siris to notice. They would probably be in Riften in about a day, less if they didn`t run into any trouble. She highly doubted that would happen…

00000

"It`s good to be wrong sometimes."was the conclusion Dila drew in her mind when she and Siris arrived in Riften. The sun had barely set, and she was actually very surprised that the roads had been so tranquil. With the war going on, she expected trouble with the Stormcloaks. But they had actually enjoyed a walk through Skyrim`s beautifull southern forests without as much as a spider nicking her leg. Siris had finally struck a killing blow on his bad luck, it seemed.

Riften`s marketplace was quiet. Dila thought that that was strange. When she had come here last time she had seen a really busy town, not quite as busy as Whiterun, but still with at least some movement. Then Siris slapped his forehead.

- Oh, strike me blind, I forgot! – he said. He took Dila`s hand and guided her to the front of a temple.

- Siris, is there something you missed?

- As a matter of fact… - he said, and the doors of the temple bursted open. – Yes.

Dila looked at the door, and saw two Argonians on the stairs. One of male and one female. Both of them looked overjoyed with something. A small crowd followed them, cheering and clapping. Siris smiled. Dila recognized the Argonians. They were the barkeepers, Keerava and Talen-Jei. They were holding hands, and were almost running downstairs. They stopped by Siris just briefly enough for Talen to hug him and for Keerava to kiss him on the cheek.

- Thank you for the amethysts. – they said, almost at the same time, before heading back to the inn. The crowd dispersed, laughing heeding from the men and giggling from the women.

Dila understood. That had been a wedding. But why had they thanked Siris?

- Remember when I said I had a couple of errands to run here? Well, Talen wanted a traditional Black Marsh wedding ring. Three amethysts in a silver band. He didn`t have the money to buy them, so I took to finding a few for him myself. It seems like it paid off.

- When did you sent them to him?

- When you were unconscious, after your fight with Krona. You were sleeping, so I thought that was the perfect time to send three amethysts. I had a raven get them here.

Dila nodded. With no more people to deal with, Siris guided her to the inn.

- Didn`t you have to speak with Black-Briar?

- Yes, but that can wait. I still need to… - he got closer to her ear. -…apologize for earlier.

She smiled, and he copied her. Then, he put both his hands on her shoulders and guided her to the inn. He released her before they entered.

They butted in on a very happy reunion.

Keerava had her legs wrapped around Talen. She was sitting in one of the tables, her back against a pillar. Her tail stuck out from between his legs. They were fiercely locked in a kiss. When they heard the door opening, they stopped and looked at Siris and Dila. The four of them were there, stuck in that awkward situation.

- Sorry to interrupt. – Siris said, rapidly guiding Dila upstairs. – I`ll pay you both on the morning. Finish up what you have to do.

Dila took the lead and pulled him upstairs. They got into a room and locked the door.

- Well, that was unexpected. – she said, unstrapping her bow from her back together with her quiver. Siris had thrown his sword to the other side of the room.

- What did you though would happen? They are just married. You`d expect them to have a nuptial night.

- Well, we`re not married. – she said,already walking to him and tugging at his coat. – But I`m sure we could do the same as them.

He didn`t respond, instead crushing his mouth to hers. She closed her eyes and let him push her into the bed. When she was about to get up, he pinned her down, holding her wrists.

- I`ll apologize… but don`t forget you owe me payback for the stunt with the charcoal.

She laughed, and he kissed her again. After that, they were flung unto a night of passion.

That night, the Bee and the Barb was not home to one loving couple, but to two.

00000

Siris opened one eye. It was still pitch black outside. He looked around, seeing nothing. He looked down at Dila. The night was cold, like it almost always was in Skyrim. She was wrapped around Siris tightly. Siris could feel heat flowing from her into him. He was almost dozing of again…

Until he heard it.

The smallest of creaks on the floor.

But it was enough to leave him fully alert.

He unwrapped Dila`s arms from around him, slowly. He could hear nothing more, but he still prepared his hands to a fight. He wouldn`t be taking any chances.

Dila hadn`t woken up, and he was gratefull for it. He could hear his heartbeat rising, his breath silencing. He closed his eyes. He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

He felt a sudden woosh of air upwards. He extended a hand upwards, holding the arm of his unknown assailant. He turned around and caught it`s leg, flipping it around. The assailant was a woman, for what he could see. She moved too fast for him to pinpoint a face, though, as she rapidly landed on her feet and dashed against him as he stood up. He saw she had a dagger on her hand. She bucked him against the wardrobe and brought her hand back, to try to stab his eye. He moved his head, and the knife plunged into the wooden surface. She yanked it out, but he had put his two fists on her stomach and he pushed her strongly toward the wall. He followed her and wrapped his hands around her neck. She didn`t try to fight his grasp.

She threw her legs around his neck, trying to suffocate him like he was doing. She managed to use her strong legs to push him on the ground. He was immobilized, being suffocated.

- It isn`the first time I`m on top of you while you are naked, Siris…

Siris was slowly loosing the battle. He did manage to notice, however, that her body was bending in an impossible way. He realized who it was.

- Krona. - he squeezed through his constricted throat. He regretted it, deciding to keep all his efforts int holding his breath

- Yes, Siris. Did you think I would be leaving you alone? – she said, bending even closer to him. He could feel her breath. Her orange scales were getting dimmer and his vision was tunneling.

He twitched, trying to free himself of her. She was looking intently at him.

- It felt better when I wasn`t suffocating you, didn`t it, love? – the last word slurred from her mouth dripping poison.

His eyes caught on a object that was now on the floor. It was his sword. It must`ve fallen when he was tossed against the wardrobe. He reached for it, but Krona grabbed his hand.

- Not so fast.

To his shock, the hand detached from her forearm. Fleshy sounds emanated from the stub on her hand. Suddenly, a bulge began growing in it. He saw bone starting to grow and tendons and nerves encircling it. Flesh covered the skeletical hand, followed by skin and scales. He was wide-eyed.

- Like this? – she said, twisting her wrist. – Why don`t you look at your hand?

He turned his head. The detached hand had become black, almost as it had decomposed. But it`s grip was stronger than steel. He wiggled his hand desperately, feeling bile rise up from his throat.

He saw her take out her dagger again.

- Why don`t I end this now, Siris. This would save Razara a load of trouble.

He had no breath to say anything anymore. He watched as she raised the dagger. Then, she threw her head back.

When she looked down again, an arrow was stuck on her forehead. She closed her eyes and chuckled.

- You have a knack for shooting me in the head, you know?

Siris looked to the bed. Dila had woken up, and in her hands was her bow. She had the sheets wrapped around her. Siris took the moment of hesitation from Krona to prop his legs on her chest and launch her off of him, kicking with both feet. She grunted and slammed against the window. Dila shot off another arrow, catching her in the chest. She backflipped and went through the window, disappearing into the night. Dila got closer to the window, looking for her, but she had vanished. She unnotched the arrow and sat besides Siris, who was huffing in the ground.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his pinned wrist. The hand that had detached from Krona was digging deeply into his flesh, almost cutting his hand off. He thrashed with his feet and tried to take it off, but any effeort only made it hurt more. Dila shot to her feet when he screamed.

- Dila! Shoot it! Quick!

- But I`am going to hit you! – she said, rennotching the arrow

- I can still… AH!.. I can still heal! As long as I have a haaaa!... hand!

She hesitated, but drew the arrow back and closed her eyes, murmuring something before letting the arrow fly. Siris shook in pain when he felt the arrow trespass the bone of his arm, pinning his arm to the floor. The hand released his wrist and died. It turned to ash and withered away. Siris yanked the arrow out of his arm. It started to bleed.

- Let me help you!

- No! Don`t touch it! – he said, concentrating on the Hist prayer.

She withdrew her hand. He had been ruder than what he had intended. When the muscle and bone were finished healing, he walked to her.

- Look, I`m sorry. – he said, hugging her.

- I worry about you, Siris.

He stoped. He hugged her tightly.

- Thanks. Nobody else does.

She looked at him. He was beginning to cry. She hugged him warmly.

- Thank you. – he kept saying, sobbing. – Thank you. Thank you…

She was making hushing noises, her head on his chest and a hand on the back of his head. He threw his head on her shoulder. Tears were cascading down and wetting her fur. She took his hand and took him back to the bed. He laid down before her. She caressed his face gently, until he stoped crying. Then she lied down. Before he slept, she kissed his forehead. He closed his eyes.

- I love you. – he managed to say, before he finnaly went of to sleep.

00000

"Dammit!" She thought, crying. "What happened to me?"

Krona was sitting amongst the woods of Riften. After her last attempt at an assassination had failed, she found it best to send a message to Razara. She couldn`t do it, though.

She wanted to ask Razara something.

"Why did you do this to me?" she thought.

Even though she had been able to cope with her loose joints and enhanced vision, shedding off a hand had quite an effect on her. It had never struck her so strongly.

She wasn`t alive anymore. Now she was just a weapon.

When she had come back from the void, She was happy. Euphoric, even. Then, slowly, she lost her perception of dead and alive. She had to hide from the other Shadowscales, especially her brother. But to all accounts, she was still a living, breathing being. Now she wasn't so sure.

"I better send off that damned message before Razara gets impatient. She swallowed her tears with that, and took out a charcoal and parchment roll.

She was going to make Siris pay for what he had done to her. Dearly.

00000

- We`re sorry that we caught you red-handed yesterday. – Siris said, to Kerrava and Talen-Jei. – We just needed a room for the night.

Talen chuckled.

- It`s fine, Siris. You helped us get our wedding ring. – he said, and Keerava lifted her hand to show it. It was a fine examplar of jewelry indeed. The three amethysts were beautifully and skillfully put in the silver band. – You can ask me anything you want. That is…

He put one arm around Keerava`s waist and pulled her to him.

- As long as you don`t get my wife in some death-defying stunt.

- No problem with that. Let me just…

Siris jammed his hand in his pocket. He wiggled his hand for a bit, before finnaly fishing out ten septims. His last amount of money. He handed them to Keerava. She took it in her hands.

- I told you you were going to get the couple-bed, Siris. – she said, smiling.

- Thank you for everything, Siris. – Talen said. – May the Hist guide you. And… - he continued, looking to Dila. – May you walk on warm sands.

- How do you know that? – Dila asked.

- A bartender must tend to everyone that walks through the door of his or her estabilishment. That means every gender and species.

Siris and Dila said their goodbyes and left the inn. Siris approached a guard. He needed some information.

- Guard. – he hailed. – Where can I talk to Maven Blakck-Briar?

- The Jarl is attending to other issues. She can see you when she`s finished.

He was confused. He told him he wanted to see Maven, not the Jarl.

- No, I don`t want to see the Jarl. Where is Maven Black-Briar.

- I told you, she is tending to more sensitive situations than your petty problem.

Siris backed up a little. Maven might have the Jarl, Laila Law-Giver, on her pocket. But she wasn`t the Jarl. Not near in the line of succession.

Unless…

"Why didn`t I open that letter?" he asked himself, grabbing Dila`s hand and heading toward Mistveil Keep.

- Hey, stop it! – the guard said behind him. He paid him no heed. – BY the order of the Jarl, stop right there!

- You know who I am? – Siris turned. – I didn't think so. I am Black-Briar`s best messanger, hunter and all around trouble-finder. She would have your head if she knew you were harassing me.

He knew it was a gamble. If it didn`t work out, he could as well be signing his death warrant in blood. The guard, however, didn`t know that, and quickly turned around and left.

"And that`s why I love Riften." He said, barging through the door. His apprehensions were confirmed.

Maven was sitting in the chair, overlooking the eating hall. Maul stood by her side, like a lumbering mountain of steel and muscles and, not surprisingly, no brains. He huffed as he and Dila stepped through the hall, ignoring stares from the people eating. Maven lifted her gaze to him.

- Oh, so my little lizard comes back to me. – she said. – Since I am sitting here now, I assume you delivered the letter I asked you.

- Maven, cut to the chase. How did you get up there so fast?

- The empire has it`s agents. Some of them were in Riften. Besides, the Theives Guild was more than useful for me. Laila is now on the Blue Castle, in Windhelm. I was appointed Jarl, but we both know this was just an honorary title.

Siris fist curled. Maven already ruled Riften with Laila on the throne. Now that she was Jarl, however, she had enough influence to hunt even the High King, if she wanted to. She then seemed to notice Dila.

- You are that Khajiit that Siris brought in afew weeks ago, aren`t you?

Yes, ma`am. I am Dila of Elsweyr, also called "Lynx-Eye" by the Stormcloaks.

- I heard a whole lot about you, Dila. – Maven said, leaning back into the chair. Dila seemed to diminish under Maven`s raven eyes. – You would do for a great enforcer.

- Forget it. – Siris barged in. – Is it not enough to have me, Black-Briar? A Shadowscale?

- You rank as an elite assassin matters me not, Siris. Besides… - she turned to the shadow behind her. – I already have a Shaodwscale

Siris looked up. Then, he growled and bore his fangs, recognizing the Argonian clad in the armor of the Dark Brotherhood that steped from a shadow behind her.

- You! – Siris said, motioning to lunge at him.

- Yes, Siris, me. – responded the green scaled assassin. – I see that you have a new sword. Did the one you received from our master broke?

- Yes…. – he continued. – Veezara.

Veezara chuckled. His steel sword dangling from his hip scraped the floor a little when he went down the stairs.

- I have been told that Razara has been giving you trouble, Siris.

- He`s your brother. You should be dealing with him, not me.

Dila resolved to interrupt.

- Brother?

- Yes. Veezara is Razara`s half brother. They share the same mother, but different fathers. – then, turning back to Veezara, he continued. They were merely inches apart. – And ever since he became our contact with the Dark Brotherhood, he caused the Shaodwscales nothing but trouble.

- Necessary trouble, Siris. I am sure you understand it now, given your position.

Siris understood. The contracts had been split between the Dark Brotherhood and the Shadowscales, but usually the former barged in on the latter and ruined the kills. It had been frustrating at first, but when Siris left, he noticed that the objective had been to undermine the Shadowscale operations.

- You knew Razara was going to rebel against the king. Why didn`t you talk some sense into him?

- I tried. But no words from my mouth were going to go through his thick skull. He kept saying rubbish about the "Former Glory of Argonia" and about the "damned cats". No offense, Dila. – he said, turning to Dila.

Siris relaxed. Why was he so angry at Veezara? It didn`t matter if he was sabotaging the Shadowscales or not. Veezara retreated. Maven took over again.

- Very well. Siris, if you have something to tell me, say it now.

- I… - he begun, a little embarrassed. – I need more money.

- That`s it? – she said. – You come all the way to Riften to ask me for money?

- Yes.

A dark chuckle came from Black-Briar`s throat. She knew that she had Siris in her hand, and she enjoyed it.

- Of course. Maul. Give him some gold.

Siris turned, to see Maul approaching him from the side. When they were arms length apart, Maul slugged Siris in the jaw.

- What did I do this time?

- Not this time. Last time. – Maul said, giving a still doubled-over Siris a small bag of coins. – You owe me an axe, lizard.

Siris massaged his jaw and hooked the bag to his belt.

- Come on, Dila. - he said, taking her hand. – Let`s go. I don`t think I need anymore of this.

- Before you go, Siris. – Maven said. When Siris turned around, she threw a small letter toward him. He catched it. – Message for you.

Siris ripped open the envelope with his talon. Reading the message, he jumped. He reread it, not sure if he had read it right. He felt despair start to creep up his soul.

Without hesitation, he took Dila by her shoulder and ran out of Mistveil Keep.

- Siris! What bug bit you? – she asked. He didn`t heed her any attention. He needed to leave Riften now.

He gave a glance back at the other building, next to the Jarl`s residence.

"Perhaps when this is done."

He pushed the gates open with his hand, sprinting past the guards and going to the chariot.

- How much to Whiterun? – he asked the man with the wagon.

- 50 septims.

Siris threw him the money and hopped on the back of the wooden cart. Dila followed suit. When they began moving, Dila put a hand on his knee.

- Siris, is there something wrong?

- Of course there`s something wrong, Dila! I wouldn`t be like this if all was allright!

She looked into his eye. He grabbed her hand.

- I`m sorry. I didn`t want to scream at you.

- It`s okay. Now, tell me what happened.

He took her hand back to his mouth. He kissed it.

- Balgruuf`s son has been kidnapped, and Proventus was found dead.

Dila was visibly shocked at the information. She then asked the dreadfull question.

- By whom?

- Razara. – came the answer, quick and dark as the name itself

* * *

**_Dum, dum, DUUUUM!_**

**_I love cliffhangers. The bane of every reader, the golden jewel of any writer._**

**_I`m sorry it took me so long to update the story. I hope you`ll still stick with me untill the end of this tale._**

**_We`re approaching a... darker part of the story. So now, that M rating up there will justify itself._**

**_You have been warned._**

**_Cheers and peace!_**

**_Eddy_**


	23. Showdown at the Beggining

Chapter 23:

The road to Whiterun was a silent one. None of the two were eager to talk about anything, for the despair of the rider, who would have to face a silent trip once in his life. Siris had taken his sword out of his back and was now knneding his fingers. The sword on his lap trembled with every little bumb in road, and he cautiously ran his fingers over his throwing daggers on his belt.

Razara had taken a step too far. Now he had killed one loyal servant of his friend and had kidnapped a child of no more than seven years of old. He closed his eyes, dragging his hand along the black sword. He could feel every small detail on the blade. The smooth curve, the sharp tip, the razor-like edge…

He cut himself slightly.

- Ow! – he exclaimed, bringing his finger up. A small trickle of blood went down by it. Dila awoke from her small sleep. Seeing that it was nothing more than a small skin cut, she closed her eyes again.

Siris, however, wasn`t feeling so good anymore. Not with the voice in his head.

"Oh, your blood tastes of wine for me…" he heard. He resheathed the sword. "Don`t deny me more blood, Siris. I will have more soon enough."

He was compelled to look at Dila. She was sleeping peacefully, despite the carriage`s constant shaking. Her mouth was half opened, and her ears were flat on her head. He unsheathed a few centimeters of the blade, in a trance.

"Yes. Do it." She said.

He rapidly sheathed the blade back, shuddering at the dark, fleeting thought. He didn`t need to be more stressed than he already was. Soon, he figured it would do him a world of good to sleep as well.

Mistakes happen.

As soon as he managed to doze of, he started dreaming very vividly. The setting was a rock platform. He was standing in the middle of it, while to woman were on the sides. The platform was rocking left and right, and he knew that it would fall any second. He looked to one of the women. It was Dila. She had a rope around her neck, and was crying, kneeling on the ground. He looked at the other. It was Krona, in the same position. The platform began to shake with much more intensity. He kept looking at both of the women in the corners. Instinctively, he knew that he could get one to safety.

His hesitation costed him the platform. It went down from underneath his feet, and he plunged into the abiss of Oblivion, screaming. Below him he could see a multitude of webs, thicker and wider than any other he had seen. He closed his eyes before blackness enveloped him…

00000

Siris awoke with a jolt. He turned his head around, to check his surroundings. He lifted his foot and brought it back on the chariot. He was still in firm land. He looked at Dila, who was still sleeping, and released a sigh he didn`t know he had been holding. It was night already. The sky was dotted with stars, and by it he could see they were near Whiterun, probably only half hour until they arrived.

He threw his arm around Dila. She mumbled something in her sleep and readjusted herself so she was leaning on him. Holding her close, he thought about the dream.

Why had he dreamed about Krona? He was over her. Dila had helped him overcome his guilt. Perhaps he still loved her?

"No. Not after she…" he said, putting one hand on his own neck. "That proved it." Dila`s head slumped into his shoulder, and he smiled.

"It was just a dream." he thought, looking at the stars. The slowly moving foliage made up for a nice picture. He sat there, silently, absorbing the nature around him. It was all so peacefull and tranquil around him. It seemed like nothing was wrong with the world. No one was dead, no one had been kidnapped. It would all have been very much simpler that way.

He allowed himself a brief meditation. After all, arriving tired at Whiterun wouldn`t be the best course of action.

00000

The wet footsteps clanking on the old ground indicated Tar-Ma that someone was approaching. He stopped polishing his daggers and looked at the entrance of the room he was in. A small figure appeared on the door.

Kandella quickly unhooded her own head. She was looking worse for wear each day that passed since she had come to Razara`s room. Now, there they stood, in that ancient, decrepit ruin, because of the plans the boss had.

- Hi. – he said, taking his daggers out again. He took the polishing stone as well and retook to sharpening the two knives. – What do you need?

- Can I just stay here with you? – she asked. He nodded, and she sat by his side, her legs crossed, observing the sparks that flew from the dagger.

Tar-Ma knew that she was deeply scared. She had talked to no one else besides him, and now she was even refusing to eat unless he gave her the food. She would most nights weep herself to sleep. One night, though, she seemed to have cracked again, and she began crying like there was no tomorrow. Tar-Ma had needed to stay in her room for the night watching her to make sure she didn`t hurt herself or any of the others. He was getting worried about her. Her gaze was lost into the distance.

Tar-Ma, however, was in charge of taking care of not ony her, but the boy as well. He was currently tied to a pole in the room, a gag covering his mouth. His tears had dried long ago. He was probably freezing, but Tar-Ma wasn`t there to give him comfort. That boy just happened to be the first child he had come across in Dragonsreach. It was pure chance that he ended up there.

A current of air blew the fire he had put on out. He cursed, reaching for his pocket to grab one more stone to light the fire. He stopped when she brewed a small fireball in her hand and absent-mindedly flung it at the ashes, rekindling the fire.

- Thank you.

- Tar-Ma, do you think that all this is necessary? – she asked.

- What do you mean?

- All of this. – she said, signaling the boy and the room they were in. – Don`t you think Razara is taking things a little bit too personal?

- I guess. – he said. – But Siris did betray him, and our brotherhood.

- But that is no excuse. It couldn`t have been bad enough for him to let our agenda go to hell. We barely have money to go back to Argonia now.

- Wasn`t that bad? – he chuckled darkly. – You weren`t here yet. If you were, you wouldn`t think that.

The uninvited memory threw him into a trance. He had already relived that memory countless times. He remembered every little detail of that fight.

00000

" Razara plunged the knife into the table. The last job had graned them all a hefty amount of coin. All of them were laughing and drinking, the ones that had gone to make the kill telling the stories over a fine stew that had been coocked by one of their own.

All of them seemed happy. All, but one.

- Is that true, Siris? – someone asked him, and he shifted his gaze from the largely untouched plate in front of him to Dead-Aim, who had made the question. – You killed one man through a stone wall?

He nodded and rested his chin on his crossed fingers. Krona, who was sitting at his side, touched him in the forearm.

- Love, are you allright? – she asked.

- Yeah, yeah… - he said. She kissed his cheek. – Thanks. I`m not hungry right now.

He got up and left. A few gazes accompanied him, including Krona`s.

- What happened to him, sis? – Tar-Ma asked.

- I don`t know. I`ll go check. – she said back.

She got up and left after him. Tar-Ma gave another drink from his mug. His best friend wasn`t one to miss a celebration. Maybe he was tired?

Well, what he did on bed was his and Krona`s business.

00000

" Siris looked at his sword. That old Katana was still encrusted with the blood of his recent kills. He ran his fingers through it.

- Rough night? – he heard from behind him. He turned around. Krona was standing at the door frame, leaning on her side, legs and arms crossed.

- No guts, no glory. – he said, trying to scratch a small speck of blood that had caught his attanetion.

He heard Krona coming closer to him. She put a hand on his back and he turned around.

- What happened? – she asked him. He could see sincerity on her eyes. She didn`t want to know about the details of his masterfull kills. She just wanted to know what was bugging him. He sat on the bed.

- I had to kill a child. – he said, when she seated by his side. – Not much more than a hatchling.

- Is that it? – she asked. – My big, strong fighter is worried about that? Siris, I know it`s not easy to kill a child, but we`ve both done that quite a lot.

- But I never doubted the reasons before, Krona.

She stopped.

- What do you mean?

- Nothing, nothing. I guess I am just confused. – he said, putting the sword back down. He then put both hands on her cheeks and kissed her.

- Want me to help you rest? – she said, breaking the kiss for a brief second, before he hungrily kissed her again. She getly laid down on her back. – And the answer is yes.

00000

"Siris picked up an apple from the table in his room and thrusted it into his knapsack. He worked carefully, to avoid waking his lover. He already had his clothes on. His sword was on his bag, and his knapsack was almost full.

He felt bad. No, terrible. He was second-guessing himself. One part of his mind was trying to convince him to get back to Krona`s side, while the other was urging him to rush out of the doorway.

His tail brushed against her. Her eyes slowly opened. She looked around, and her tired eyes still took a while to recognize him.

- Siris? – she hushed. – What`s happening? What are you doing?

He took a depp breath. It was now or never. One part of his mind finnaly won over the other.

- I`m leaving, Krona.

She looked at him. The words had stung her, and he could see that.

- What did I do wrong, love?

- No, Krona. I`m not leaving you. – he hushed back. – I`m going out of this place. I`m leaving the Shadowscales.

Her eyes widened. He himself almost didn`t belive his own words.

- What? Why?

- I don`t thrust Razara anymore. – he said. – Come with me, Krona. We can live together somewhere else. Away from here, away from Razara`s corruption.

- Corruption? What…

- I killed the prince, Krona. – he said, and she closed her mouth. – That was the contract. Razara is coordinating with the rebels. He will overthrow the government.

She stopped, weighting the words that he had spoken. He reached for her shoulder.

- Siris, are you mad? They`ll chase you!

- I`ll loose them! We can disappear! Perhaps start again, in Cyrodill, or even in Daggerfall!

- I can`t. – she told him, amidst tears. – I won`t. I swore an oath, Siris. I won`t break it.

- Krona, please…

- No. Siris, please stop with that. They`ll kill you!

- I`m sorry, Krona. I can`t.

He pressed a vein on her shoulder. Before she could scream for help, she was knocked uncounscious. Siris stood and stealthily walked to the door, his tears marking a trail that led back to her.

When he passed by the dinning room, his mind was so confused he didn`even notice the hulking shadow in front of him.

- Siris? – Tar-Ma asked. They stared each other down. – What are you doing?

Siris didn`t want to feel worse about himself, so he merely lowered his gaze and tried to step past him. Tar-Ma blocked him with his arm.

- Siris, what are you doing?

Siris grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder, taking him by surprise. Tar-Ma landed on top of the table, but quickly grabbed Siris collar and threw him over himself. Siris rolled over the rest of the table and fell on the ground.

- What in the blazes are you doing, Siris? – Tar-Ma said after him, as he stood up.

- Don`t make me use my sword, Tar-Ma.

Tar-Ma flipped himself up and reached for a knife. He threw it at Siris, who dodged it. Siris jumped on the table and sprinted, trying to get to the door. Tar-Ma grabbed his foot and he tripped, falling onto the ground. Siris kicked his hand.

- Siris! Come back here! – Tar-Ma screamed. He could hear footsteps reverberating of the walls. That skirmish had been probably loud enough to wake up the entire base.

He got up and bolted, escaping Tar-Ma`s hands. He ran through the base, hearing screams of "Get him!" and "Traitor!". He just ran.

He ran out to the the door. The screams had followed him through the night. He had found a place were he could hide and sleep that night. For the first time in his life, he felt lonely. Unprotected.

Hunted.

00000

The memory was already long gone by the time Siris reached Whiterun. He was done running. He was going to make Razara pay for what he had done.

Once he and Dila were in the city, Siris could see the guards were on edge. The patrols had doubled, and the citizens were almost absent from the streets. Siris walked straight to Dragonsreach, not only to see his mission briefing, but also to see how his friend was faring.

Not quite well.

Balgruuf was crying. Not sniffing. He was crying. Siris didn`t really expect that. Balgruuf had lots of sons and daughters, all from different wives. He would be shocked, sure, but, as far as Siris expected, he wouldn`t be crying.

- Siris? – he asked, and Siris could see how much the man was wrecked. His beard was dark with his own tears. His eyes were red.

- Yes, Balgruuf. It`s me.

Balgruuf got up from his chair and walked toward Siris. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Siris, crying on his shoulder. Siris patted his back. Dila gave them both a moment of silence.

- Balgruuf, I`m sorry for what happened. – Siris said. – Razara kidnapped your son because I couldn`t stop him. But give me a few days and I will track him down.

- There`s no need for that, old friend. – Balgruuf said, getting some distance between himself and Siris. Then, he picked a piece of paper from his pocket. – He already told us where he is.

Siris picked up the paper.

"Siris,

It`s such a shame that Krona couldn`t kill you. Maybe your corpse will net me a much better assassin.

As you probably noticed, I have the Jarl`s son. For old times sake, I`ll tell you were he is.

Come meet us at Bleak Falls Barrow. We shall be waiting. That cat won`t save you this time.

Razara."

Siris crumpled the paper in his hands. Razara had now openly mocked him and Dila. Choosing Bleak Falls Barrow was throwing salt on an open wound. The place were he and Vigfus had begun their journey was to be left untouched. That order came from the Jarl himself.

- I already sent in some soldiers. – Irileth said. – But none of them returned.

- Of course they didn`t. – Siris said, serious. – The whole Shadowscale crew is there. This is between me and Razara.

- I understand. That`s why I didn`t send in more soldiers.

Siris nodded. Dila came near him

- Where is this Bleak Falls Barrow place?

- Remember that shout Vigfus used to send me flying through the air? – when she nodded, he continued. – He acquired the first word of that shout in that place. We started our mission through Skyrim in that place. It`s not far from here. I could probably make it in three hours.

With that, he turned around, ready to leave to the Barrow. Dila put a hand on his shoulder.

- What do you mean "I could"?

- Dila. – he said, turning around. – I know you want to help. But these guys aren`t the same as anything we killed so far. We both had trouble fighting two of them. There`s probably much more than that this time. They got traps, specialized arrows, magic runes, even.

- So what? I`m coming with you. I don`t care about that. If you didn`t notice yet, we`re in this together.

She stared into his eyes. He wanted to argue with her. But he had seen that determination before. She was not going to relent. Even if he locked her in Breezehome, she would still find a way to go after him.

- Dila… - he said. – Thank you. Let`s go.

00000

Dila was climbing the mountain right behind Siris. The walk had taken them a little less time than what Siris had expected. The trail to the temple was steep, but she had already climbed the Throat of the World. Siris had already drawn his sword, ready for whatever ambushes they could barge unto.

The climate had changed very abruptly. From the moment they passed the small town of Riverwood and begun their climbing, it had started snowing. Keeping her pace was becoming increasingly hard, and she could see that Siris wasn`t all that well. He, however, had fire in his eyes again. He was determined to stop Razara`s bloodshed.

Suddenly, an urge overpowered her. She put a hand on Siris shoulder. He had probably been thinking the same as she, as he spun around and planted a kiss on her mouth. She put a hand on his neck. They kiss was long, silent, as if they knew they had to relish in it as long as possible, for that could well be their last kiss.

They unwantingly broke the kiss, taking one last moment to look into each other`s eyes yet again.

- If anything happens to me… – he said. – I`ll be watching over you, Dila.

- Nothing will happen to us. – she said, as a smile crept up her face. She genuinely believed in that. They had come that far. Nothing was going to go wrong if they faced it together.

Siris cupped her face in his hand. For the first time, they were warm.

- I love you.

She nodded. Then, they turned back to the road. Only a small curve separated them from the fight.

- Let`s go.

She got her bow and they walked forward, anxiousness creeping up from her chest. She breathed in deep to stabilize herself. She needed her aim to be true. Any miss and she would be dead.

Somehow, that thought seemed to calm her. The sheer pressure was comforting. Perhaps her head was playing tricks on her.

They turned on the curve, and Dila was face to face with the imposing structure of Bleak Falls Barrow. Siris walked a few steps more, and promptly, a shadow appeared on the top of the stairs. Siris seemed confused.

- Tar-Ma, where is Razara? – he asked.

Dila ran her eyes through the pillar and the structure. Imposing allright, but that was not what she was worried with. What really bothered her were the menacing shadows on top of some pillars, all eyes fixed on the two. Dila could count seven of them. She wasn`t sure that was the whole number of them.

- He is here, somewhere. – Tar-Ma answered. A few Shadowscales hid when Dila`s gaze passed over them. – But I don`t know for certain. He could be on the pillars, he could be inside the temple. He could be…

- …here.

Dila froze. The voice had come from her side, so close the fur on her neck shook with it. She spun around quickly, but there was nothing there. Siris had also heard it, and he turned, throwing a dagger at empty air.

That was clearly a signal for the rest of the Shadowscales to engage them. Tar-Ma leapt after him, wielding that mace. He swung downwards, and Siris narrowly sidestepped it, bringing his sword down in a wide ark. Dila grabbed a few arrows and begun looking for targets. However, the Argonians had already jumped down and were rushing toward hiding spots or toward Siris and her. She shot one of them, but the arrow merely grazed the cape, not causing any damage, and embending in the snow, harmlessly. The Shadowscales darted left and right while approaching, so she quickly gave up on her bow and grabbed her dagger in a swift motion. Three Shadowscales were circling her, while four of them were waiting for a break to interfere in Siris`s brawl with Tar-Ma.

She breathed, nervous, and one of her assailants jumped to get her. She ducked under a sword and tried jabbing at the leg. The leg, however, wasn`t there anymore, with it`s owner backflipping and joining the other two.

- The cat`s got some nerve. – he said. One of the other two chuckled. Dila could see they were two men and one woman.

- Of course. – the other male chuckled. – She is Siris`s whore. That`s gotta take some damn courage to go against us. Don`t you agree, Kandella?

The female just kept staring at her from behind her mask. Breathing condenstaed in front of their faces, and she took note of their weapons. OOne of them had two axes, the one that attacked her had a sword, and the female, Kandella, had…

Nothing.

Then, suddenly, something.

A sword materialized in her hand. It was shimmering purple, and a smoke of the same color came out of it. In her other hand, a small blue ball formed, and she hurled it at Dila. She jumped back, and the ball touched the ground.

Dila was caught by surprise when the ball exploded in a blue mist. She covered her eyes, coughing.

"She threw a gas bomb at me." Coursed through her mind. "These slippery bastards are…" she looked at them again. They were still the same. But their silhouettes were starting to distort. They became bigger, eyes became red. The whole sky darkened.

She released her daggers. The figures approached her. One of them too of it`s mask. Black, sharp teeth made themselves visible. Dila fell on the ground, her hands shaking. She scrambled back, cutting her hand on something. She looked at it. Blood was pouring out at an impossible quantity. Her face was smeared in blood. She was terrified. Hysteric.

Then everything went black.

00000

Siris blocked an overhead strike from a warhammer. The hit on his sword made his arms tremble, but he held on. Tar-ma came from one side and tried to plant his mace on his kidneys. Siris slid between the legs of his assailant and let his own sword sing it`s song. The balde cut out half of a snout, and with another movement, a leg followed it. The warhammer-wielding Shadowscale collapsed, lifeless.

Another one, with a greatsword, tried to disarm him attacking his wrist. He let the Ebony blade fall, only to catch it with his other hand. Spinning, he made the proeminent vertebra in his tail smash the other Argonian`s arm. His sword fell as he clutched his arm in pain. Siris smiled. They could be Shadowscales, but they were still green.

Then a mace hit him across the face.

He flew back, seeing a three teeh fly with him. He could feel a splintered jaw as he landed on the snow. Blood had tainted it from where his head was.

Tar-Ma walked into his field of vision, with a stern expression. With his foot, he turned Siris`s head to the side. Siris saw Razara tie up Dila`s hand. He also saw that her head was covered by a hood. Three Shadowscales were by his side. Dila was limp. Razara finished the knot and signaled the other Argonian, who promptly crouched and put her on his shoulder.

Razara turned and looked at him. His eyes were two silver sphere`s as his mouth contorted in a sick smile.

Siris lifted his hand, reaching for Dila.

- Dila… - he squeezed through his shatterd mouth, before a boot impacted with his chest. He squirmed.

Tar-Ma took out a dagger and stabbed Siris`s leg with it. Siris cringed.

- That was the smallest of your problems, Siris. – he said, withdrawing the dagger. – It was coated in a special mixture. It suppresses your Histskin. – he cleaned the dagger and stored it back in his belt. – Look at you. All beaten up like that. – Tar-Ma said, putting his foot on top of Siris`s chest. – The great Siris. Assassin. Shadowscale. Someone I considered my flesh and blood. – he started putting up pressure. Siris felt his ribs bending. He put an arm on Tar-Ma`s foot, trying to get it away.

Tar-Ma put his full weight on his toraxic cage. One rib broke loudly. He tried to scream, but it came out more as a squirm than a shout.

- As much as I`d like to stay here and beat you within an inch of you life, I need to get Balgruuf`s kid back to him. A bait looses it`s usefulness when the target is captured. – he turned to the other three. – He`s all yours. Spare a little bit for me though. I`ll end his life.

With that he turned and went inside the temple. Razara and the other group had already left. The three Shadowscales came closer. The one with the broken arm crouched by him.

- See this? – he asked, pointing at the swollen limb. – I`ll make you pay for it.

Siris felt a blade stab his shoulder. He felt it being twisted until his shoulder came out of it`s socket. He threw his head back, in pain. He felt a blade stab his forearm, and another pin his hand to the ground.

He managed to scream. He scream a name:

- DILA! – was the last thing he screamed. After that, he took all the punishment as silently as he could.

A tear escaped his eyes.

What were they going to do with her?

00000

Dila woke up being carried. Her vision was black. The place she was in was very cold. She was shaking violently. A smell of blood entered her nose.

She felt herself being strapped to a chair. Her tail swung from a hole in the chair. As she tried to move her limbs around, someone took out the hood that was keeping her from seeing anything. She was in a small room. A small Soul Gem holder was in front of her.

- You have given us quite a lot of trouble, Dila of Elsweyr. – she heard a voice behind her. It was a raspy, dark voice. It was quite similar to Siris`s own, but the amusement note was substituted by a slightly psychopathic one. It made Dila shudder. – But we finally caught you.

An Argonian walked in front of her. His skin was of a golden yellow, and the two straight horns on his head were polished almost to perfection. He held a smile on his face, an arrogant one. He stopped and turned to her, arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a black vest, with an overcoat that went to his feet. He had a dagger and a sword at his waist.

- And I am not going to let you escape me like Siris did.

Dila stood silent. The Argonian eyed her, squinting his eyes.

- You must have heard of me. I am Razara. Siris must have already told you something about me. – he retook his walking around her. – That I am corrupt, merciless, lethal and arrogant. All of those, except the first one, are true. – he stoped again. – And now I have you, Siris`s treasured companion, in my hands. If you behave properly, I might even let you stay unharmed…

His response was a spit to the face. Dila looked at him with a defiant face. He breathed in deeply and held out a lashing rage, but for a moment, she could see that his eyes had shone with hate. He casually wiped Dila`s spit from his face, before going behind her again.

- But I see that that won`t be the case. – he said, and Dila heard him take out something metallic from his pocket. – So I`ll have to make your stay miserable.

She gasped in surprise when he took hold of her tail. She felt two metallic clasps wrap around the vertebra at the tip of her tail.

- Take note. This is going to hurt.

He pressed the clasps with all his might, and Dila felt the fragile bone cracking and breaking. She screamed in pain.

- That was a fake vertebra. It didn`t have any nerves in it. But this one… – he said, moving the clasp up her tail – Oh, this one does. Are you ready?

He smashed the vertebra. The pain that Dila had felt on the first one was nothing compared to the one she felt now. She screamed again, ten times louder. Tears she had been struggling to contain ran without her consent, as she began to cry.

- Are you crying already? – she heard him say. She couldn`t answer. That pain was the greatest one she had ever felt. – It`s no fun having you cry so soon. I guess I`ll have to switch to something else…

He walked in front of her again, drawing a Soul Gem from his pocket. He placed it on the holder in front of her. He took hold of her head with an iron-like grip, and adjusted the Gem so that it stayed at her eye level. He walked back when he was satisfied with the height of the device. He put a hand behind the cup the stone was placed in, and pressed a small button.

A blinding flash of light illuminated the room. Dila`s eyes, which were round in order for her to see in the dark, burned at the light. She closed them quickly, but the pain started spreading through her head, and her eyes felt like they were on fire.

A strong hand grabbed her forehead and forced her to open her eyes. The room was already dark again, but another flash made the searing pain retake her body. Razara released her, and her head slumped to one side. Her whole body screamed in pain.

- How do you feel, cat? – he asked. She tried to straighten her head. – Tired, maybe? Or in pain? I would prefer the latter.

She managed a huffed breath, before she felt something shock her. Her whole body jolted with electricity. When it went away, she was almost unconscious. She could faintly hear footsteps, and him saying something to another Shadowscale.

- Surveilance… no sleep… Siris… bait. – she figured. Her eyes closed, and another shock ran through her body. Forced to open her eyes, the gem flashed again, burning her eyes yet again.

Her breathing grew slow. She knew that if she closed her eyes, somehow she would be waken up by another shock, and the gem would fire again. Her arms were bound to the chair by strong steel bindings. Her legs were equally bound. There was no way she would escaping without help.

She whispered a prayer to the Divines. The Shadowscale leader caught up her usage of Siris`s name, and came close to her again.

- Hoping your "friend" will save you? I wouldn`t be so sure.

- He will come here. – she said, sluggishly. – He will come and kill you all.

- I seriously doubt he will be moving anytime soon. I sent my best assassins to deal with him. They mentioned they left him in death`s doorstep. Face it, cat. – he said. – You are doomed.

Hearing that, Dila felt all her strength leave her body. Seeing that his words had had the desired effect, Razara finally walked out of the room, leaving her in pitch blackness. She began to cry. Not of pain, this time.

Of desperation.

* * *

_**Take note. I`m back. Hell freaking yeah.**_

_**I am really (REALLY ) sorry for the delay. I just guess I had to face the Great Wall of China, Writer`s Block version. Coupled with a trip to New York and a few awesome games I bought there, I had no time to write the story. I apologize again.**_

_**Today`s chapter was... interesting to write. I have never tortured a character so much. However, credit`s due where credit`s due.**_

_**I would like to thank my friend Baeowulf, who helped me with the "Dila-Torture-Scene". He has some crazy ideas about torture. Also, his story about The Elder Scrolls, "A Dark Past, and a Brighter Future", is amongst the best I have seen in this site. You should really check it out guys.**_

_**So, Baeowulf, thanks again, man.**_

_**And too you all, a good night.**_

_**P.S.: I told you this was going to get darker, didn`t I?**_


	24. Two Months

Chapter 24:

If there was any time Siris had felt so afraid, it had been now. He had been brutally battered in the past hour. He had been punctured, kicked, smashed with rocks, and burned. The last part came partly from the ice in contact with his body, because of multiple gaps in his clothes because of the blows he had taken already, and because of a torch someone had had the idea of bringing. To make matters worse, there was a snowstorm brewing. Every little hope of escape he had been smothered when he felt the cold wind coming.

The Shadowscales that had been with him were new recruits. He didn`t recognize any of them. The one with the broken arm was the one with what seemed like the most rage within him.

Siris managed to lift his head.

- You like that, traitor? – the one with the broken arm said. Siris spat on his foot in response. It was more blood than saliva, but he got his point across.

His answer was a swift kick to the head. He felt his jaw almost split in half. The Argonian put his boot on his neck.

- Insolent.

- Kaiel, wait. – one of the others said. – Tar-Ma wanted to kill him himself.

- Screw him. He`s going to die anyway. We can say the cold killed him. He won`t mind. That`s a very slow death.

The boot pressed further on his neck. The sharp spikes under it pierced his skin. Suddenly, the pressure went away, and his throat was freed. He looked up. An axe was embedded in Kaiel`s head. The other Shadowscales were cowering, as another one strided to the standing corpse`s side. Yanking the axe out, the body fell on the snow. Tar-Ma replaced the axe on his back, before kicking the legs of the corpse out of the way.

- I`m sorry, Siris. – he said. – Even though I hate with all my gut, I still think you deserve to die by the hand of someone as skilled as you.

Siris looked up. The dark sky was almost soothing. He thought he managed to see one small star between the clouds.

- Di…Dila.

- Stop saying that name! – Tar-Ma suddenly bursted. He took a second to regain his breath. Than he crouched and jammed one of his knees in Siris`s ribcage. – She loved you! She was going to marry you! You left her! Left us! You betrayed her!

He punched Siris face once, twice, thrice as he screamed. Siris coughed up more blood. Tar-Ma got a dagger out of his pocket. He held it in an icepick grip. He raised it and begun to move it to Siris`s chest. Siris managed to hold up a hand and hold the dagger, but his strength was rapidly faltering. The dagger was moving slowly but surely to his heart. Tar-Ma`s face strained.

Siris felt the dagger prickle at his chest, proceeding to prod deeper as blood blurted. He tried to say something, but didn`t manage. He was beginning to feel the knife near his heart, which accelerated out of sheer desperation.

He thought that that was his end. The winds of the other world were coming in gusts. Gentle at first, but increasingly violent. Then, a sound accompanied them. It seemed like wingbeats. He saw a form in the dark sky, descending in his direction.

He closed his eyes, feeling Death reach out it`s fingers to seize him, finnaly coming to terms with the presence that had been there his entire life.

He opened his eyes slightly. Another figure was standing near him. It was dark black, holding a massive two handed hammer.

He closed his eyes yet again, feeling that he would not open them again.

00000

How many days had it been since she had last seen him?

Hard to tell. In that little dark cell, a second stretched for all of eternity. Days mingled into weeks, which mingled into months , which in turn mingled into seconds. Her jailers would keep a tight watch on her, and she would eventually be knocked out, only to wake up an indeterminate amount of time later in another torture equipment.

Sometimes, the torturer would be that despicable golden-skinned Argonian, Razara. Other times, it would be some unknown Shadowscale. They had done everything to her: pulled out the rings on her ears, removed talons and fangs, broken more vertebra of her tail… But everytime like it seemed that she would finnaly be put out of her misery, a concoction would be poured down her throat. It burnt when she swallowed it, but she healed in an almost split second. Razara had told her that it was a concentrated solution of the Hist. That would explain the whole lot of hallucinations she had been having everytime she was given the potion.

Her clothes were nothing but shreds. Her armor had long since been torn to pieces that still clung to her body in the vain attempt to cover some of her skin. Her back was criss crossing of red, bloody scars from he latest day she had had. She was now thrown in her cell, almost blacking out.

Dila kept telling herself that Siris would get to her. That he would somehow barge through that door and free her of that nightmare. But the image of him lying somewhere, dead, with ravens picking pieces of his flesh scared her more than any torture they could come up with.

- Siris… - she would whisper to herself, before entering a nightmare-filled dream and waking up on another horrifying instrument of pain. This night was no different.

When she awoke, she was strapped in a spread eagle, her face against a wall. She heard a bullwhip unwiding behind her. A whooshing came, and the leather whip licked her already hurt back. Her hands grabbed the ropes, as the blood ran through her back and caked her fur. She dug her fangs into her lower lip, to prevent her from screaming. Blood trickled down her mouth.

As of again, seconds trailed into years.

00000

- How is he, Farengar?

- Not good. He`s never arrived so badly beaten. I did my best, but he hasn`t awoken in six weeks. Six. Weeks. He`s breathing, he`s heart is beating. His Histskin keeps him without the need to eat. But I don`t know if he is going to wake up.

- He has to. It doesn`t matter how many soldiers they send. Siris is the only one that can fight Razara.

- What about you?

- He would kill me before I could even strike a blow. I lack finesse, Farengar. I kill monsters, not shadows.

- Then let`s hope he wakes up soon. I don`t think Razara is going to wait much longer if he wants to strike.

00000

Darkness. Decay. Secrets.

All of that surrounded him.

He extended one of his arms into the void in front of him. When he reeled it back, a white goo covered it. He shook his hand in disgust. Spiders. He hated spiders.

A blade appeared from the ground. It was black. It pulsated in red.

"Do you want to save her?"

- Yes.

"Do you regret killing the other?"

- Yes.

"Then become my champion. Embrace the secrets."

- No. I won`t do your biding.

"Then take my blade. But I will have you."

He reached for the blade. His hand tickled as his hand approached it. His fingers unsurely wrapped around the handle.

Then, the darkness was no more.

00000

Siris`s eyes fluttered open. He was covered to his neck in a thick fur blanket. He could feel some sort of robe in his body. He moved his hands, his feet, his neck. Someone was in the room with him.

- By the Nine! – the other person said. Siris`s memory kicked in, and he recognized farengar`s voice. – You are awake! How are you feeling?

Siris took a look at his surroundings. He realized he was in Dragonsreach, the guest room. He groaned, sitting up and shoving the blankets to his waist. He rubbed the back of his neck. Then his stomach roared.

- Hungry.

- I`l get you something to eat.

Farengar hurriedly left the room. Siris looked at the small table opposite of him. His clothes were there, and he could see some patchwork both in the vest and in the coat. His throwing daggers were in their usual bandolier, hanging around the chair`s arms. And he also took note of the other item, the one that really left him preoccupied.

The Ebony Blade.

It looked so beautiful, resting against the wall, in it`s scabbard. It seemed like any other sword. He contemplated the sword for a few minutes until Farengar came back to the room, carrying a tray of fruits and meat, along with a jug of water.

Siris took the tray and laid it on his lap. He rapidly drank the water, emptying the jug in a few seconds. Then he took to attacking the fruits. He reached out and grabbed an apple. He took a bite and almost swallowed half of the fruit in one mouthful. Before he could take another bite, he stopped and looked at the shinny red fruit. He recalled when he and Dila had come to Whiterun, after their first night together. The apple tasted the same.

- Farengar. – he said, still looking at the apple. – Where is Dila?

Farengar gulped and hesitated a bit before he answered.

- Siris, when you went out to Bleak Falls Barrow, I contacted a friend as fast as I could. He went…

- I don`t care. – he rudely cut in. – Where is she?

- She didn`t come back. – he said. As the room lapsed into silence, he added: - I`m sorry.

As the room silenced again, Farengar stood up and left, closing the door. Siris stared down at the apple in his hands. A sense of emptiness settled on his soul. He lazily bit the apple again. No taste. He looked at the apple again. Various thoughts passed through his head.

"Is she dead?

"It`s my fault."

"How am I here?"

"She`s in Razara`s hands now."

The last thought brought up a surge of fure, and he crushed the apple in his hand. He had no hunger anymore. He dropped it on the tray and got up. He undid the robe he was wearing and silently put his clothes back on. He strapped his knives over his shoulder. Then, he turned to the blade.

- You won`t break me. – he promised to himself, before grabbing the blade and setting it on his back.

Every eye in the room turned to him when the door opened. He saw Balgruuf, Irileth, Farengar and…

- …. Vigfus?

- Siris! – Balgruuf said, raising from his throne.

- Vigfus, what are you doing here? – Siris asked.

Vigfus adjusted his weight over his legs. He was wearing his old ebony armor. He probably hadn`t worn that in quite a long time, and it showed.

- Farengar sent me a message. I came as fast as I could.

- Do you know where Dila is?

- No, I don`t. When I came to Bleak Falls Barrow, I just saw you almost being killed by that other Shadowscale, Tar-Ma. He bolted before I could get him, but I managed to kill the others.

- Thank you. Now I`ll be going.

He turned to the door.

- Wait! – Balgruuf said. Irileth took a step in his direction. – You can`t go!

- Why not?

- Siris, I know it seems that you have just arrived here, but it`s been two months.

"Two months?" he thought, suddenly way more preoccupied. How had he slept so much? He felt desperate

- Dila could be anywhere now.

- Then I will go anywhere to get her. All of Skyrim, all of Tamriel and even to the other side of the ocean if I need to. I will get her back.

He became aware of something in the roof of the room. He recognized it. Irate, he picked a throwing dagger and flinged it at the intruder. A loud shriek came from the roof, and a shade fell on the ground in front of Balgruuf, who jumped back in surprise.

Siris took a step closer. His knife had hit the arm of the shadowy form. He saw a small necklace on it`s neck. Something snapped in place in his mind, and his anger came back tenfold.

Reaching down, he grabbed the figure by it`s neck, carrying it to one of the pillars, he slammed it with all his might against it. The figure was covered by a cloak of shadows, but it quickly vanished when he slammed it again, revealing a feminine Shadowscale, whom Siris quickly recognized. He pressed her against the pillar with his hands on her neck.

- Where is she?!- he screamed.

- Siris…

- Say it to me, Krona! WHERE IS SHE?!

Krona reached for Siris`s hands, trying desperately to free herself from him. Siris lifted her, still pressing her against the pillar.

- Siris… my…

Siris threw her on the dinning table. She fell on her back, and all the air in her lungs went out in a big _whoosh_. Siris stepped toward her while she was still recovering and dragged her through the length of the table, knocking all that was in it over. When he reached the end of the table, he raised her up to his face again.

- Where is she?

She looked at him with sour despair in her eyes. His eyes grazed on her necklace. He put a hand in it.

- Where? Or do you prefer to go back to being just a corpse?

- Do it. – she pleaded, and a tear ran through her cheek. – Please. Do it.

- What?

He released her. She fell on the ground, gasping.

- I can`t stand this anymore. – she said. – I`m not alive, Siris. I shouldn`t be here. I don`t want to be here. I just want to die.

- Is this Razara`s doing?

- No, I swear!

- Where are they? – he said, calmer. He was still fuming on the inside.

Krona stood up, massaging her throat. Siris could see his claw marks on her scales. Perhaps he had been too violent. The others had approached him.

- They`re at Helgen.

Now it was Vigfus`s time to fume. He grumbled a few insults, making his armor clank a little bit.

- I`ll be going then. Don`t wait for me.

- Wait Siris. I`ll go with you. – Vigfus said.

- Appreciate it, Vigfus. But I fear I must do this alone.

- No you don`t, Siris. – Vigfus said, putting hand in his shoulder. When Siris didn`t turn to him again, Vigfus turned him instead. – At least you could use some transportation.

As if it had been waiting for it, a whoosh of air was heard outside of Dragonsreach, and a shadow briefly passed over the sun. All of the romm`s occupants looked up, some in fear, some in disbelief.

Siris looked at Vigfus and nodded. Then, they went up the stairs. Siris noticed that Vigfus had Voldrendug in his back. It would be two Daedric Artifacts against another one and a group of Shadowscales. The odds were even.

Vigfus barged through the door. The back of Dragonsreach was a big open balcony. The sun was blocked twice again, until the wind shifted and came in gusts to him. A large, red form hovered over the open space, before setting heavily on the stone floor. Siris shielded his eyes from the dust cloud that rised. When the dirt settled, there he was. Siris couldn`t help but grin.

- Hello, Odahviing.

- Greetings, Siris. It`s been a long time.

The dragon had grown since he had last saw him. The blood red scales reflected the sunlight lightly, and the two horns in his head seemed sharper than ever.

- What are we waiting for? – Vigfus said, walking to Odahviing. Swiftly for someone wearing ebony armor, he jumped on the dragon`s back.

Siris was about to follow him, but something grabbed his shoulder. He turned around and Krona was there.

- What do you want?

- I want to go with you.

Siris`s face became grim. He was half expecting a dagger between the ribs.

- Why should I let you go with us?

- I want revenge. – she said. – For what he did to us.

- And what did he do to us?

- He made me fight you, and made you kill me. I don`t care if you don`t love me anymore, I want to make him pay.

- All right. But you go in front of me. I won`t risk anything.

She huffed and went to the dragon. Odahviing snarled lightly, but let her climb in his back. Siris went last. He wrapped his hands around Krona`s waist, to grant himself support, and Krona did the same to Vigfus. Siris took a glance to his friends at the balcony as Odahviing turned around to get some space. He flapped his wings to times and lifted up into the air. Siris saw Krona`s arms tense as he gained altitude. He couldn`t say he felt comfortable riding a dragon, but Odahviing was thrustworthy. In no time, the had raised above Dragonsreach.

Siris closed his eyes as Odahviing dropped down to get speed, ad the sensation of weightlessness took hold of his body. Krona screamed, and he opened his eyes to see the ground hurtling toward them as Odahviing angled nearly directly at the ground. Odahvving opened his wings, and they glided rapidly up again, riding an air current.

Siris saw as clouds passed past them and the sun shinning against Vigfus`s armor. The air up there made him feel free and away from every worry.

"Don`t worry Dila." He thought, setting his eyes in the horizon. "I`m coming"

00000

- So… hungry… - she whispered to herself.

She didn`t know how much time had lapsed, but she was feeling desperate. The hope she had about Siris coming to save her was dimming, and she had been crying constantly. Her fur was dirty, her talons had lost their shine and her fangs had become dull.

She heard footsteps outside of her door. She shuddered and curled further against the corner of her cell. Another one was coming, another one was coming to make her suffer through tortures unknown.

The door slammed open, and she saw Razara enter through the door and walk toward her. Two other Argonians were behind him. He grabbed her chin and made her look into his eyes.

- Tar-Ma. Kandella. – he said, to the two others. – Take her. Bind her legs and arms. He`s not taking her alive.

The other two nooded and reached for her. She thrashed as much as she could, screaming. Eventually, they managed to bind her. She noticed that Razara looked nervous about something. She gave him her best smile.

- I told you he`d come.


	25. The Army of The Fallen

Chapter 25:

They had been flying for about an hour. Krona had relaxed a bit. The sun was directly above them, as Odahviing speeded to Helgen. Few people were on the road, and all of those that were usually dropped whatever they carrying and ran away when they spotted the shadow of the dragon passing above them, reminding Siris of the rime when he and Vigfus hunted dragons. The adrenaline surge that raced through his veins when the roar sounded in the sky, the anticipation as they waited for the beast to show itself.

Then the sudden whoosh of what seemed like euphory when the beast landed and they went to strike at the beast. Things always ended with Vigfus or him mounting the dragon to strike at an eye or at the head directly.

He didn`t have much time to mull over the memory. Vigfus screamed over the wind:

- We are arriving. Odahviing will begin the descent.

Krona and he nodded. Odahviing went up a little bit, and plumteed down, almost completely vertical. Siris briefly felt himself float from the red dragon`s back, before he jammed his heels in his flank and fixed himself. The air was racing so rapidly he was forced to close his eyes. He was so close to the others he could almost feel his enemies below him.

Odahviing opened his wings, and they deaccelerated. When Siris opened his eyes, he saw a couple of Shadowscales crambling on the floor, knocked down because of the pressure of Odahviing`s wingbeats. Some tried to crawl away, other tried to scramble to their feet, but Odahviing wasn`t planning on leaving survivors. He reeled his head back and spat a large torrent of fire against the black clad forms. The crimson fire engulfed them, and Siris saw some collapse on the floor, others run around, with fire licking at their backs and faces. Taking a small moment to draw his sword, Siris jumped down, followed closely by Vigfus and Krona. Vigfus whipped Voldrendung from his back and smashed a Shadowscale`s head, making it become nothing more than a pulpy mess. Krona parried an attack, dodging nimbly and somehow sitting on her assailant`s shoulder. She drew two daggers and swiftly slashed the throat of the shadowscale twice, flipping back and letting him suffocate on his own blood.

Siris took care of the rest of the guards. Noticing that Razara wasn`t amongst the dead, he turned to Krona.

- He must be inside the fort. – she said. – Let`s go.

The three companions rushed inside the structure. Siris saw that Vigfus hesitated slightly before running to the fortress. He took a look at his surroundings, regarding the burnt houses and the horribly burned corpses of Legion and Stormcloak alike.

Siris put a friendly hand on his shoulder.

- You okay?

- I should be asking you that question, Siris. – he said. – You just killed your friends. Do you feel okay with that?

- Yes. They aren`t friend anymore. Only enemy.

- Watch out, Siris. Don`t become like Razara.

Siris frowned.

- You two coming or not? – Krona said, slashing the throat of a guard and flipping him over her shoulder.

Siris released his shoulder and rushed on inside. Krona let him pass, before following him.

Siris took a small staircase down, ending up in a dark room. Vigfus came behind them both. Siris lit a torch, and what he saw almost made him gag.

The torture chamber had various instruments, some which Siris couldn`t even guess what kind of torture were supposed to inflict. Some of them, however, still had blood in them. Fresh blood. His free hand trembled at the images that rushed onto his mind, of Dila suffering at those instruments.

He got past the sudden haze in his mind and ran forward, his two companions hot on his track. He needed to save Dila. His life wouldn`t be worth living otherwise.

The went down a small stone staircase, and, finnaly, the moment came.

The small cavern was cut by a small stream of water. A wooden bridge would take them to the taller side of the small platform. Shadowscales were all over that room. Doing a quick head-count, Siris saw that they were being outnumbered at least four to one. A few jumped to their weapons as Siris, Vigfus and Krona arrived. Others simply stood up. Three still had their backs turned to them.

The middle one turned around, and Siris immediately growled at him. Razara stood, triumphant, arms crossed behind his back. His arrogantsmirk was claiming for Siris`s sword.

The other two turned around. Siris recognized Tar-Ma, whose eyes instatntly fell on Krona, who had covered her won face with a cowl, to prevent that her big brother recognized her. The last member to turn was one of the female Shadowscales that had captured Dila. Siris held no interest in her.

- Siris! – Razara said, lifting one arm. – You arrived! We`ve been expecting you. And, dare I say…

He stepped to the side, and permitted that Siris grazed his eyes on another figure, which had been kneeling behind him all along. Siris`s heart sank when he saw who it was.

Dila seemed so weak and tired it pained him. She had her hands bound behind her back. Her fiery red fur was dirty and wet, her hair was messed up, her eyes had lost their shine. Yet, when she looked up and met Siris`s gaze, something shone on them. Siris could recognize that shine anywhere:

It was hope.

- So has she. – Razara completed, signaling the Shadowscales to assume battle stance. – Took your sweet time, Siris. I almost thought you had run away again, afraid to come meet your end.

- If there`s someone in this room who is going to meet their end, it is going to be you, Razara. – Siris took hold of his swords in a two handed grip.

- Empty threats and empty words, Siris. You can`t imagne the power I hold now. And all thanks to you… - he turned his gaze to Krona. – Krona.

Tar- Ma`s eyes snapped to Razara, then back at Krona, this time full of surprise. She took out her cowl, and Tar-Ma`s mouth made a look that, if the situation had been other, would have been comical.

- Krona? – he asked, dumbstruck.

- Yes, brother. It`s me.

- No. Nonono. It can`t be. I buried you. With my own hands. How did you? – he then looked ta Razara. His face changed again, this time to something that denoted anger. – You knew? All along, you let me believe that my sister was dead?

- She`s not your sister any more, Tar-Ma. – Razara continued, without even looking toward the other assassin. – She`s just a bundle of souls clumped together into a vessel which just happens to be your sister`s body. She`s nothing more than a weapon now.

- How could you?..

- For a good reason. Now, I think we are done chit-chatting, Siris. – he said. – Not even the Dragonborn can save you this time. – he lited his hand again. – Shadowscales, kill!

The Argonian`s in the room jumped to meet the group. Siris clutched his sword harder and swng first, narrowly missing his mark. As he descended into the pure, raw instinct of battle, he lost track of the others. All that mattered was Dila, up in the platform , and Razara., who didn`t seem to have any intentions on joining the fray himself. Tar-Ma, however, had jumped down to the level they were in. He reached Siris and clashed his mace with his sword. Various multi-colored sparks flew as the two weapons clashed, some green, some red.

- Tar-Ma, think straight! I`m not your enemy!

- Liar! You subverted my sister`s body. – he said, as they spun around, their weapons still clashed. – You defiled her soul! You are the enemy!

- I tried to warn you about this. Back in Dawnstar!

The weapons disengaged, and they procedded to exchange blows and parries.

- Even after all that has happened today… - Siris yelled, over the sound of demonic metal against demonic metal – You still believe that I am your enemy?! Don`t you see?! Razara is insane!

- Even so, I want revenge, Siris. After I crush your skull, I`ll go after Razara!

Siris dodged one strike. He stepped on the small stream of water. However, another Shadowscale got in his way, and he was soon fighting again.

00000

Razara watched the scene unfold with delight. Everything was going according to plan.

- Kandella. – he said, with his back to Kandella. – Bring me the Star.

Kandella nodded silently and walked out of the room. Razara walked up to Dila, forcing her to stand up He forced her to watch what was happening.

- I must thank you, Dila. – he said. – Without you, this trap couldn`t have gone better.

Her eyes widedened as he mentioned a trap. He chuckled.

- You didn`t think I would allow Siris to get so close to me without having a back up plan, did you?

00000

Krona barely had time to think. As she parried a Shadowscale`s blade, she slashed at another, using her otherworldly strength and flexibility to overwhelm her foes. She suddenly saw that Siris was in trouble being attacked by three Shadowscales at the same time. She was trying to dispatch her opponents as quickly as possible, when suddenly a mighty shout came from her side:

- FUS RO DAH!

Her opponents were flung of from their feet, flying onto the wals and crashing amongst themselves with sufficient force to shatter bone. Vigfus came near her.

- Let`s go help Siris. – he said, and she nodded back.

They walked to them. However, Krona felt something grab her feet. When she looked down, a black hand had shot from underneath the stone floor and was gripping her ankle. She looked shocked, until another hand came and grabbed her other foot. She saw Vigfus get stuck on a similat sitation.

Suddenly, another thing grabbed her from behind, forcing her arms against her body. She could feel the scent of decaying flesh emanating from it.

" What is this?" she thought, struggling to break free.

00000

Siris parried a blow and sent a counter attack that manged to sever his assailant in the waist. The two bleeding halves fell heavily on the floor, and their blood tainted the water of the small stream.

Siris barely had time to breathe as Tar-Ma once again fell against him, sending a barrage of blows he was forced to parry or dodge to avoid a riposte.

Once he caught a break, though, he clearly saw his allies.

Krona and Vigfus were being held in place by two…corpses. The black, rotten bodies were firmly clinging on them, and if his experience with a deathy hold was true to every situation, it wouldn`t be long until them both were cut to shreds.

He rolled under one of Tar-Ma`s blows and rushed to help his comrades. However, something else kcked him in the gut, sending him back down onto the floor. He flipped up, and saw that a Shadowscale he had previously fought was standing eyes of a deep black, holding his chest so the contnt of his ribcage wouldn`t spill on the floor. Siris took a look around, and found that the bodies were rising back up. He turned to Razara, and found him on the platform, holding Dila by her hair, while in his other hand stood…

… the Black Star. It was shinning menacingly.

- What have you done? – Siris asked, looking around again.

- I`ve evened out the odds, Siris. – Then he directed himself to Tar-Ma. – Tar-Ma, be a good assassin and bring me Siris`s head.

Tar-Ma, however, was seemingly shocked at the walking corpses.

- Razara, what is this? – he asked

- This, my friend, is the army with which we will conquer Elsewyr!

Dila tried to snap around to look at him again, but his grip didn`t let her move a centimeter.

Siris`s mind made some sense out of the situation. All of Razara`s plan made sense for him.

- It didn`t even matter for you which side to take on the war… - he said. – As long as there were corpses on the end, you would have both armies!

- Exactly, Siris. But it goes beyond that. With Skyrim so weakened by the Civil War, I would have easily vanquished this land. For once, the dominant race of Tamriel wouldn`t be those Mer, nor the Imperials. For once, they would belong to the Argonian race!

- You`re insane, Razara! – Siris said, repeating the words he had said at their reencounter. He had never been so sure of it.

- Me? Insane?! – Razara snapped. – I plan to give us what was our right! We are the natives of this land! Those proud Nords came from beyond the sea and snatched our land from our grasp! I`m not robbing it! I`m taking it back!

He was so entranced in his own speech that he didn`t even notice Kandella coming up behind him. The female Argonian tackled him, and she, Dila and Razara fell down the platform, the star separating itself from Razara`s hands. The corpses faltered and came crashing to the ground, turning into dust. Krona, thanks to her necklace, was still in one piece.

Razara stood up, rubbing his tepe. He wasn`t expecting that. He turned to see bothe women lying on the ground. His rage quickly resurfaced again, and he moved near Kandella, who was coughing, probably because of broken ribs.

- Vermin! – he said, drawing his Mehrunes Razor. With a swift motion, the dagger impaled Kandella on her chest. In an instant, her body became limp and life left her eyes. Tar-Ma screamed.

Siris took a chance in Razara`s moment of distraction and rushed at him, sword ready for an horizontal killing blow. Razara, however, was very aware of this. With a grace only seen in master assassins, he jumped over Siris`s head and landed a few feet behind him, drawing his sword as well. Siris spun in time to block a lethal jab with the Razor, followed by a spinning strike with the one-handed sword. They locked themselves in the deadly dance of blades.

00000

Siris and Razara were equally matched. Vigfus couldn`t keep track of any of the two. The flashes of red and black that appeared when the Ebony Blade and the Mehrunes Razor appeared were soon interrupted by a feign, a dodge or a riposte. He knew that, if he tried to intervene, he would be shredded by Razara or by Siris, whose sword was being swung with such ferocity and deadly precission that it reminded him of the Dragons they fought together.

00000

Krona hadn`t seen Siris fight so hard before. The clinking of metal against metal was a constant sound on the small cave. Two artifacts of immense power clashed against each other, disappeared from view and clashed again somewhere else. Siris and Razara were both blurs of green and gold, respectively, masterfully flipping and spinning to strike at the other.

00000

Tar-Ma stood by Kandella`s corpse. When had Razara become like that? So obsessed with ending the Khajiit and the Men and Mer of Tamriel? He then looked at Krona, who was watching the battle as if hypnotized. Why did he hide anything from him. Siris had tried to warn him. Why hadn`t he lisened to him. Making a decision and turning to see the fight happening in front of him. He could match that speed. And he himself had a Dadedric artifact.

He garbbed his mace and jumped into the brawl.

00000

Siris was not faring as well as he wanted to fare. The previous fight with the Shadowscales had left him tired. Razara, on the other hand, had just watched and only interfered when the odds shad turned to him. Siris was having to move faster than his muscles would have allowed normally to parry the strikes and slashes of Razara`s blades.

Siris jumped on a wall and kicked himself in Razara`s direction. Razara sidestepped Siris`s extended blade and tried to sever his tail. Siris knew that the Razor would kill him if it cut him anywere, so he used his tail as a counter weight and slashed over his head. Razara dodged and launched a flurry of quick stabs which he was forced to parry. Suddenly, as Razara began to win the upper hand, a mace collapsed on his head. Razara stumbled forward and regained his balance. He looked back, Tar-ma was coming toward him rapidly.

Before Siris could warn Tar-Ma to stay away, Razara dodged another blow and jumped over Tar-Ma, using his sholders as a platform. Landing behind him, before Tar-Ma could spin fully to give him another strike, Razara sent a stab that pierced through his lungs and his stomach.

Krona and Siris screamed. Tar-Ma`s mace dropped from his handas Razara yanked the sword out. Tar-Ma fell on the floor, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. Then, Razara began to run to the other side of the room. Siris went after him, and no one else noticed Dila follow him, grabbing one sword from a fallen Shadowscale.

00000

Siris stopped when he saw Razara in the next room. The room was large, with a central pillar made of stone. The skeleton of a bear was there.

- This is all your fault, Siris! – Razra snapped at him, loosing his smily attitude. – Can`t you see?! I just want the good of our race! You are being propelled by that twisted sense of justice!

- The only thing twisted here, Razara, is your mind.

- Don`t you dare speak of me like that! – Razara snapped at him, loosing his cool. – You are a Shadowscale! You should be by my side, not fighting me!

- Shadowscale? – Siris said, getting battle ready. – Not anymore, Razara.

Razara roared and drew his weapons once again. However, he noticed something by the door and his demeanour changed again back to his ususal self.

- This time, I`ll break you completely.

With that , he sheathed his sword and threw a spell at Siris. Siris made a motion to block it with his sword, but the small white projectile passed right through the black blade and hit him. He bent forward, coughing and using his sword as to not fall on the ground. When he looked up again, he could see what kind of spell Razara had useed on him.

Razara had seemingly multiplied. He could ount at least seven copies of him. It didn`t matter. He knew that the real one would be the only one to make a sound. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his ears purely.

He heard faint footsteps to his right. Then he heard a whoosh. He paried up and his sword impacted with something. He retreated as he heard the footsteps retreat as well. He opened his eyes. The illusions were circling him and menacigngly holding swords and copies of the Razor.

He heard another set of footsteps, and saw two of the enemies move, he dodged, as he couldn`t risk blocking the wrong one.

Then, he heard the footsteps again. He turned around and paried a blow, but quickly lost Razara as he hid behind the illusions. He struck one of the illusions, and his sword surprisingly hit its mark. However, the illusion ended, and he had struck another walking corpse. Kicking it out of his sword, he readied himself again.

- You can hide all you want, Razara. – Siris said, turning around slowly, keeping his eyes on all of the illusions. – I`ll find you.

- Oh, I don`t doubt that. – Razara said, still obscured by the illusions. Siris heard faint footsteps behind him. He disguised that he hadn`t hear them. – But you will only find me when you already have a dagger in your back.

The footsteps approached him. He rapidly spun around and stabbed. He had hit his mark.

Razara was wide-eyed. He looked down at the blade in his chest. Siris was breathing heavily. He had put all of his might into that thrust.

Then, Razara smiled. His skin began to flake away, and showed something that made Siris become wide-eyed with shock.

- Siris? – said Dila, with the sword impaling her chest. Siris opened his mouth, but no sound came from it.

- No. – he said. – No…

Dila faltered and he pulled the sword back. She fell with the motion, and he barely had time to crouch and grab her. He turned her so she was facing him. He cradled her in his arms. The sense of despair and anguish hit him. His hands began to tremble. Her mouth was blodied, and he could almost feel the life oozing out of her eyes. He pressed her against his chest.

- No. – he continued. Tears formed in his face. – No.

- Siris… - she said, meekly. – I`m scared…

Siris let the sword escape his grip. She tocued his face.

- I`m sorry, Dila! – he said, sobbing. She reached up and touched his face.

- I… f… I for… I forgive… you. – she said. – I love you.

Then, her life was no more.

* * *

_**Yup, I just went there. Poor thing.**_

_**We approach the end of our story. Unless I decide to do something stupid, the next chapter will be the last, and then an epilogue is already planned.**_

_**If any of you felt terrifed about Dila`s death, or you hate me guts for killing Tar-Ma and Kandella...**_

_**...good.**_

_**Keep strong.**_

_**Eddy out.**_


	26. To Oblivion and Back

Chapter 26:

Siris cried, his tears dropping onto the corpse in his arms. He closed her eyes. She seemed peacefull, different from what the gaping hole in her chest told. Razara, however, wasn`t intending on letting him mourn his loved one.

- Brings back memories, Siris? – he said, kicking him in the face, forcing him to let go of her body and slam with his back to the floor. – Was it the same as when you killed Krona?

He kicked the corpse. Dila`s body rolled a few meters. Siris got up and try to run to her. Razara, however, kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing it to buckle and Siris fell flat on his face.

- Look at you, so pathethically trying to get up and go get her. – he continued, giving off a dark chuckle. – What are you going to do with her body, Siris? And don't forget. She`s only the first one.

That was the last straw.

With an almighty roar, Siris launched himself at Razara, with his hands extended to try and strangle Razara. The other assassin, however, predicted as much, and merely sidestepped. Fueled by blind rage, Siris followed him. Razara kept dodging him and toying with him, like a predator enjoying the last defiant moments of it`s prey.

Siris tripped and fell on his stomach again. Suddenly, a loud shriek resounded on his mind. He screamed and put both hands on his ears, trying to dampen the horrid screech. Then, a voice took hold again.

"Ah, yes. It feels so good… Her blood is so sweet…" Siris recognized Mephala on his head. "Finnaly, you made the sensible thing, Argonian. Pick up my blade… claim your vengeance… destroy him…"

Siris opened his eyes and saw that the Ebony blade was by his side. He grabbed it`s hilt, and the blade shone with red markings. Siris stood up, using the sword akin to a cane to get up.

- I promise now… - he said, getting up. – That I will kill you today, Razara. I swear, over my loved one`s dead body, that I will separate your body from your soul.

Razara laughed and assumed a defensive stance.

- I`d like to see you try, Siris.

Impelled by a force beyond his knowing, Siris charged at Razara. This time, however, his blade was much faster than before. Razara was taken by surprise, but nimbly dodged the black edge. Siris followed through with another series of swipes. Razara was playing on the defensive now.

Suddenly, his back hit the stone pillar. As Siris was beginning another horizontal sweep, he ducked under the blade. The blade struck the pillar and, much Razara`s shock and dismay, cut halfway through the thick stone pillar. Siris stuck his foot on the pillar and pulled using all of his weight. The blade had left a clean cut on the rock. Razara had rolled away, and prepared am offensive stance.

The two combatents swung against each other. Siris, however, was seemingly tireless. Razara, on the other hand, was beginning to feel the strain of prolonged combat. They locked blades. Razara begun to press with the Razor against Siris`s sword, forcing it to move back and toward Siri`s neck. Siris ducked, and the blade missed his neck.

They locked again.

- Give up, Siris. – Razara said, as they spun in place. – I… am… stronger…

- Humph. – Siris grunted. His feet dug into the muddy ground. – Perhaps… but you didn`t… travel with… the Dragonborn…

Razara seemed confused by the comment. Siris closed his mind and remembered all of what Vigfus had told him about the Voice. Concentrating on the three words, he pushed Razara away.

- Krii… - he begun, to Razara`s shock. – Lun… - Razara rushed toward him, both blades in hand. – AUS!

As he finished the Shout, a purple shockwave left his mouth, passing through Razara. Razara fell to his knees, his body tattoed with purple runes. Siris immediately felt his throat hurt. Using Dragon Language had a very bad impact on the body even when only one word was used. He had used three of the Words of Power Viigfus had teached him. He coughed up a little blood.

The strain had been worth it. Razara was on his knees, and Siris knew he was suffering greatly. That was what the shout was designed to do. When he and Vigfus had raided the Dark Brotherhood`s Sanctuary, he had been disappointed not to see Veezara there, but that had soon been overshadowed by the Word Wall on the far end of the Sanctuary. Siris had been bugging Vigfus to teach him how to shout; if Ulfric Stormcloak could learn, then so could he. Vigfus agreed, and he trained and meditaed on the first word of the shout for months before they found the next two. Even though his shout wasn`t as strong as Vigfus, he considered himself proficient in it`s use.

Razara looked at his hands. His whole body felt like it was burning.

- What have you done to me? – he asked. When Siris managed to surpass the side effects of the Shout, he answered:

- Marked for Death. A shout that`s dark in nature. It steals the life energy of a foe for a set period of time. Time enough for me to finish you.

Razara stood up, though Siris could see that his movements were severly more sluggish, and his face was contorted in a mixture of both rage and searing pain. He rushed forward, but Siris sidestepped and, with one swift move, cut off one of Razara`s horns. Razara screamed in pain and fell to his knees. He touched the now flat piece of bone lightly. The markings on his body started to fade. Siris became wary as well. He had gone too long without using the Shout, and now it had become much less effective. Razara stood up, and both opponents knew that this was going to be the last blow of the fight.

Razara looked into Siris`s eyes. Siris readied his sword, and Razara readied his own weapons. Time seemed to slow down. Any sound coming to Siris`s ears was blocked out that moment. All that mattered was the Argonian in front of him. The pain in arms, the tearing at histhroat, the burning sensation on his legs…

Nothing mattered.

They ran toward each other, bellowing a war cry as they went. Siris blocked Razara`s strike with the dagger and sword and started pushing back.

An idea beckoned in Siris`s mind. He applied extra pressure with his right hand and grabbed Razara`s hand. He began to force the Mehrunes Razor back at it`s owner`s shoulder. Razara`s eyes bulged, and he fought to recover.

They released their swords and grabbed onto the dagger with both hands. None was winning. Razara lifted one knee to try to hit Siris`s stomach.

Siris sidestepped with the blade still in his hand, going behind Razara`s back, Razara struggled to continue, but his arms were struggling to pull the dagger over his head, while Siris was pulling them down. The dagger beagn to loosen itself from the Shadowscale leader`s hands.

Siris put a released one arm frm the fight and brought it along Razara`s neck. Razara also released one arm from the struggle to put a hand on Siris`s, preventing himself from being strangled. Siris`s hands were shaking with the effort and strain, but he could slowly feel the dagger sliping into his hand. He pulled one last time…

… and the dagger escaped Razara`s grip, coming to rest on his hand. Smiling with triumph, he lifted the dagger high above his head, Razara`s eyes following it.

- Dagon claims your soul! – Siris screamed, and plunged the dagger deep into Razara`s shoulder, severing seveeal arteries. Not that it mattered.

Razara`s body became limp. His eyes were fixed in what seemed like despair and pain. The black gem on top of the hilt shone briefly. Siris twisted the dagger, breaking it and leaving half of the blade into Razara`s shoulder.

He released the body, and Razara`s body fell on the floor without a sound.

Siris released the handle of the dagger and sat on the ground.

It was over.

Finnaly over.

The sensation would have made him jump from joy any other day. But his gaze slowly shifted to the only thing in the room that was on his mind.

Dila`s body was still on the position where it had stopped when Razara had kicked it. He slowly stood up and walked to it. Her eyes were still closed. He began sobbing again.

Throwing his head back, he screamed. The sound reverberated on the walls, and seemingly amplified itself. He fell on top of her corpse, crying loudly. He stayed what seemed like hours that way. His thought were all focused on her face when she saw he had killed her. Her last words. She used the last of her breath to say that she loved him.

"Why? Why did she forgive me?"

Siris`s cry slowed down, until it was nothing more than tears running down his face. Seeing that her clothes were rags, he took his coat from his back and wrapped her in it. He cradled her and lifted her up, stopping to pick up the wretched blade from the ground. The blade still had her blood smeared up to the hand guard.

He silently put it on it`s scabbard, and placed his hands behind her knees and on her back. With her safely secured on his arms, he finnaly walked out of the room, letting Razara`s corpse there to rot.

00000

Krona was crying, holding her brother`s hand. Vigfus was by her side,trying to comfort her. The gaping hole in Tar-Ma`s chest was making it difficult for him to breathe.

- Krona? – he asked. She looked at him. He seemed serene. – What`s it like being dead?

The almost juvenile question made a chuckle escape her mouth.

- It`s not that bad, actually. – she said. – Gives you time to think.

- Good. I need that. – he said, feebly.

A noise came from the small opening that led to the cave where Siris and Razara had been fighting. She looked up. Siris was there, cradling something on his arms. His coat was gone.

She was going to say something to him, but her words failed her when she saw his eyes were red with crying. Then, she noticed that the thing he was carrying was wrapped in his coat. Her eyes then fell on the head of what he was carrying.

Dila was there. Her mouth was dirty with blood, and she could see that the part of the coat that was over her chest was damper than the rest of it.

Vigfus stood up, but too silenced himself when he saw Dila`s head. Siris walked silently past them.

- Siris? – Tar-Ma asked, promting Siris to stop his silent walk. – Is that Dila?

Siri`s`s silence was all that Tar-Ma needed. He rested his head on the stone floor. Death was reaching him. He wasn`t afraid of it. He just wished he had had one last chance to hit Razara.

- I`m sorry… - he said, slowly closing his eyes.

Siris`s head hung forward and he continued to walk to the door. Krona put both of her brother`s hands on top of his wound to conceal it. Then, both she and Vigfus followed Siris.

00000

They were outside. The sunset painted the sky in bloody red and orange. Siris took on breath and gently laid Dila on the floor. He touched her forehead with one hand.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around. Vigfus was there.

- I don`t know what to say, Siris. – Siris stood up and looked at his friend. Vigfus had removed his helmet.

Siris then saw Krona, who was grasping her necklace. She approached Siris.

- This is my fault, Siris. – she said.

He threw his arms around her. His bare arms trembled, and his face sunk to her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him. He stayed there for a few moments, silent. No sound except the wind was heard. Siris turned back to Dila. Her soul was no longer in this plane of existence. She was with that wretched Mephala.

Suddnely, clarity came into his mind. He whipped the blade from his back. Krona took a step back. Siris approached Vigfus.

- Vigfus. – he said, extending his sword to him. – Kill me.

Vigfus`s eyes were eide with shock. He swatted the blade aside.

- WHAT? – he asked. – Have you gone insane?!

- Am I your friend?

- Yes.

- Do you trust me completely?

- Yes. Why are you… - Vigfus stopped mid sentence. – No. You are not planning on…

- Yes, Vigfus. I`m going to go get her.

Vigufus grabbed both of his shoulders.

- ARE YOU INSANE? – he screamed, shaking Siris. – You want to go get her?! Mephala is a Daderdic Lord! You go, you never come back! Do you understand me?!

- I do, Vigfus. But I`ll go anywhere to save her. I thought I already told you that.

Siris saw Vigfus strength falter. Vigfus`s mouth became a tight line. He released Siris`s shoulder. He looked at the black blade.

- Are you sure you want to do this?

- With all my heart. – he looked at Krona. She was just as shocked as Vigfus.

Vigfus sighed. Then, he took the blade.

- Thank you, my friend. Goodbye. - Siris said with finality

Siris kneeled near Dila`s body. Vigus stood in front of him.

- Straight through the heart. – Siris asked, looking at Vigfus in the eye. He saw a few tears slide down his face.

Vigfus lowered the blade and pointed it at Siris`s chest. Siris could hear his heart pounding on his chest like a drum. He took one last breath and closed his eyes

- Do it.

He felt the blade pierce his heart.

He felt it stop beating.

He felt his brain become blank.

"I`m going to save you, Dila."

00000

Vigfus released the sword. Siris had moved slightly during his blow. When he released the blade, leaving it in Siris`s chest, he took two steps back. Siris continued kneeled, his body not falling forward or backwards. His head slumped forward.

- I can`t feel him anymore. – Krona said, her voice hitching. – He is gone.

Vigfus sat down. Now, all they could do was wait. If Siris was ever coming back, only time would tell.

00000

Siris woke up. He was lying on the ground. He could feel the taste of earth on his mouth. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that he was in a very dark place. Propping himself up in his arms, he looked around. He saw a few swords impaled on the ground, but worst of all, he saw…

…bodies. But not just bodies.

Corpses, which were firmly tied by spider webs. Some were missing a head. Other`s were missing arms or legs.

He looked around himself. In any direction he turned, all he could see was that picture of webs and corpses.

He was in Mephala`s realm. The Mephala`s Web.

"Now to find her." He thought, walking to one direction. The webs seemingly opened. He saw a large area, with bridges leading up, down, left, right, and all drirections. He also saw various staircases, some upside down, others on their sides.

- Confusing as the webs of a spider. – he said. Walking another step, the web closed behind him.

He turned around, to see his passage back blocked. Suddenly, laughter filled the air around him.

- Who has walked into my web… - cam a distinctive feminine voice. Siris looked up. He could distinguish two devilishly red eyes on the ceiling. – Siris… My Champion.

- I`m not your Champion, Mephala. – Siris said to her. His mind almost froze. Was he really talking back to a Daedric Lord? – I came here to get what you stole from me!

- I stole from you? – she said, laughing again – Oh, Siris. When you impaled your beloved Dila, I wasn`t talking to you.

- What does it matter? I`m here to get her back.

She laughed, and Siris heard what seemed to be a web being spun. Mephala left the darkness.

She was a woman. Or better yet, she had the figure of a woman. Her face was far from harmonious, and she had four arms instead of two. The web was being spun from an octagonal piece of ebony on her back. She wore a black dress adorned with skulls.

- And what makes you think that I will give her to you? – she asked.

- I`ll duel you for her. If I win, me and Dila return to Nirn, and you won`t interfere in our lives ever again.

- And what if you loose?

- Then… - he said, taking a moment`s consideration. – I will stay here, as your servant, for the rest of eternity.

Mephala seemed to consider the offer for a brief second. Siris heard another web being spun, and saw another cocoon being lowered from the ceiling. He bared his teeth when he saw that Dila was encased in the webs, seemingly uncounscious.

- Very well.- Mephala said, lowering herself further and dropping down on the floor. She whipped out four copies of the Ebony Blade, holding each with one of her hands. – I accept your offer, Siris of Black Marsh. Let`s duel for your soul and for the sould of your beloved.

Siris nodded and picked up two iron swords from the ground. He was very proficient with dual-wielding swords. Spining them around himself, he readied a stance with both swords parallel to each other.

Mephala assumed a position as well, and the two begun to circle each other. Siris made a figned move, and Mephala rushed to block it with one of her arms. However, he attacked from the left, and she was forced to divert another arm to block the strike.

Siris had forgotten he wasn`t dealing with a normal opponent. He heard a swoosh just in time to dodge three simultaneous sword attacks, backflipping and landing crouched.

Mephala smiled, her smile showing two very pronounced canines. Then, she rushed him again. Siris barely had time to dodge Mehpala before she spun with her four swords extended. Siris felt one of them graze his forearm before he rolled away. He looked at the damage she had delt him. The cut wasn`t deep, thank the Hist. Mephala`s blades were a lot sharpr than his own. He stood up again, and this time, he ran toward her, both arms stretched to the sides. The style he was using was very dangerous to the user, but if used right, could inflict massive damage on any opponent.

Mephala slashed at him. He ducked and closed his swrods like a claw. She sidestepped, and Siris barely managed to turn when she struck another blow, which he parried. She followed with a furious barrage of sword strikes. Siris blocked them all, not risking a clash. Four arms would quickly overpower him if he locked blades with her. She followed him as he walked back through the arena, using his swords to redirect attacks aimed at his vital points. Mephala just kept him dodging in her unrelenting barrage of attacks.

Siris managed to find an opening. He spun to the side and extended one arm, grazing her flank before she pulled away. From him. The smirk disappeared from her face.

- You fight well, Siris.

- I learned a few things.

She dove against him again. He expertly rolled to the side, letting her fly past him, while he slashed her feet. He managed to hit her calf, and she became more enraged.

Trying to take advantage of her moment of distraction, he jumped to her. When she turned around, though, her face had changed. He stopped dead on his tracks as Krona`s face looked directly at him.

- What? – he said, confused.

He felt a searing pain on his stomach, and saw blood trickle from under his clothes through a gash in his armor. He stepped back, hodling his midsection. Mephala gave off a laugh.

- Don`t love her, but still got a soft spot to her… - she said, still using Krona`s face instead of her own.

- Shut up. – Siris said, taking up his position again. He didn`t want to waste his Histskin before he was sure he could die.

Mephala spun her swords on her hands. Siris was having trouble keeping up with her speed with the four blades. If she kept up like that, he was going to loose. He looked up. Dila was still on that cocoon, seemingly asleep. Concentrating again, he prepared his swords once more.

Mephala ran toward him again. He tried to dodge, but she managed to stab him in the side. He screamed in pain. She laughed and lifted him on her sword, before throwing him away.

He rolled a few meters back and ended on his back, breathing heavily. He could feel the blood pouring out. He concentrated on the Hist prayer. The muscle began to close, along with nerves and skin. Scales grew back, and he stood up.

He had used his one trump card, and now it came to purely surviving.

Suddenly, a memory found it`s way into his battle hardened mind. He remembered his ad Dila`s fight with the Dremora on the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon.

"Next time, try to do it with your tail…"

He smirked. That might work.

When, Mephala came toward him this time, he crouced instead of dodging normally. Mephala kicked him away. He smiled. He had wanted her to do that.

She looked down. Something was wrapped around her feet. Something scaly.

Siris spun, bringing her crashing down onto the ground as his tail pulled her leg toward him. She fell with her face on the floor. Siris took the opportunity and picked his swords in a reverse grip. Lifting them up, he brought them down, with a triumphant roar, onto Mephala`s shoulderblades. She screamed in agony. Siris took a few steps back as she screaemed and thrashed around. He had managed to pin her to the floor, embending both blades until their guards were touching her bones.

She stopped thrashing around, and her body slowly became black, before crumbling into dust and being blown by an invisible wind. Siris fell on the ground, tired. He looked up. He saw Dila`s coccon had disappeared. He fully layed on the ground, huffing and looking up.

"I won…" he thought. "I defeated a Daedric Lord…"

A small speck of light fell on his face. Another one followed it. Light was snowing from the ceiling. A gash opened in the ceiling. Light poured through.

Soon, his visage was dominated by an almighty whiteness…

00000

Vigfus was getting worried. A few hours had passed. The sun had already settled, and Krona and him were left in the night, guarding two corpses. Siris was still kneeled, with the sword through his chest. The night had turned chilly.

He heard something. A snap.

He looked to the corpses. The sword on Siris`s chest had now a crack of light running along it`s edge. Balgruuf approached Siris. Soon, another crack signaled another scar of light on the midnight blade.

The sword continued to crack until it suddenly bursted in various particles of light. The gash on Siris`s chest was healed, and he woke up with a gasp.

- SIRIS! – Vigfus screamed. – What happened?

Siris took a few moments to stabilize his breathing. Then he said, astonished:

- I just killed a Daedrci Lord.

Vigfus`s mouth dropped. Siris turned around. He hovered over Dila`s corpse.

"Come on. Don`t leave me here alone!" he thought, putting a hand behind her head.

She was quiet.

Then, Siris saw one of her ears move.

Her eyelids fluttered.

Siris let a tear drop from his face as she opened her eyes slowly, both gems as majestic as always. She looked around, until her gaze met his. She smiled.

- Siris…

- It`s allright, Dila. You are alive.

- You came for me. – she said.

- I did.

They kissed. The kiss was punctuated by tears on both sides. Siris felt his heart almost exploded with happiness. She lifted her hand from under his coat and pulled his head to her.

He broke the kiss and looked at her. She seemed as euphoric as he was.

He lifted his gaze. Krona was looking at them both. She had a faint smile on her face.

- I hope you two find happiness together. – she said. Siris smiled.

- Thank you, Krona.

- Goodbye.

She reached for her neck and grabbed her amulet. Breathing in one more time, she tugged it away from her neck.

Her body began turning to ash and scattering in the wind in front of Siris`s eyes. Siris watched as her face gave off one last smile before it too faded, and she was finnaly at peace.

Dila turned his face so he was looking at her again. Vigfus came by his back and touched his shoulder.

- When you are ready to go, let me know, Siris.

- Thanks.

Vigfus left to give the two of them some privacy. Dila looked up, and her smile got bigger.

- Look. – she said, and Siris looked up to the stars. A Red Aurora shone in the sky. – Just like when we first met.

- Yeah. – he said, holding her hand with both of his. He looked her deep in her eyes. She looked at him with the same intense gaze. – It`s finnaly over. After all those years on the run. I`m free…

She kissed him again. He felt happier than ever before. He separated the kiss once more.

- Dila, why did you forgive me? – he asked. Her smile dropped, but was soon replaced.

- Because I know you love me as much as I do, Siris. I just want to stay with you, no matter what.

He smiled back at her.

- Dila?

- What, Siris?

He picked up a ring from his pocket. Her eyes bulged when she saw the three amethysts enbended on the silver band.

- Marry me?

00000

Siris stood in front of the Altar of Mara. He had put on is finest clothes, a blue robe-like overcoat and green pants. He was nervous, but the ceremony was about to start. Divines, did he feel happy. Maramal had agreed to host a wedding ceremony on the Temple of Mara in Riften, and almost all of his friends had shown up.

He had seen Balgruuf. He had patted him on the shoulder and congratulated him. Veezara had also come to his wedding. He thanked Siris for resolving the sitution with his brother, and had agreed to stay for the ceremony. Talen-Jei and Keerava had happily agreed to appear as well, with Keerava pointing out that "she knew they were going to be together from the start." Farkas, Aela and Vilkas had come, mostly due to Dila than to him. Even Maven Black-Briar and Maul had appeared, stating that they had nothing better to do that time of day.

He also learned from the mouths of General Tulius and Legate Ritke that the war had been won while he was in a coma, after Bleak Falls Barrow. He had apologized for not being present, of course, but the General said that he had helped further the Empire more than he knew, and promoted both him and Dila to the ranks of Legate.

Most surprising for Siris was the presence of Vigfus. His friend had agreed to stay the land for a few days after Razara`s defeat, just for his wedding. Siris thanked him very much, even coming close to tears.

He began thinking about his adventure in Skyrim. He had seen a lot, got many battle scars he could surely tell the hatchling he and Dila would adopt about how he got, especially the one in his chest. But perhaps that was a story for when he was older. He had even hold an artifact of godly power in his hands. He wasn`t sure he was ready to lay down his sword, but it would be nice to come back to something after a perilous quest.

He heard the door open.

- Ah, and here comes the blushing bride… - Maramal said, and Siris turned to the door.

She was beautifull. She wore a long white dress, decorated with various swirling designs in red. In her forehead was the circlet Siris had given her. The rubies shone just like her eyes. She held a small floral arrengement in her hands, mostly Nightshade and Dragon`s Tongue. She smiled when she saw Siris, and Siris smiled back. She walked the way to the altar. Irielth, who had helped her get dressed, silently sat down by Balgruuf`s side. When Dila got closer, Siris saw that she was indeed blushing.

She released her right hand from the floral arrangement and held Siris`s left hand. They looked at Maramal. He began to speak:

- In this land, it is not easy to survive, let alone find love. Love in itself is difficult to find. However, joined by adversity, these two have not only survived, but also helped the whole land escape dark times. Who, I ask you, is more worthy of love then them? – he turned to Siris. Siris and Dila turned to wach other. – Siris of Black Marsh, will stand by your wife`s side until the stars themselves are blotted out from the sky?

- I will, now and forever. – he answered, smiling

- Dila of Elsweyr, will you stand by your spouse`s side until the trees themselves dae away, and even after that?

- I will. Now, and forever.

- In the grace of Mara, thses two have met. In her light, they shall be married. I now proclaim you husband and wife.

Siris and Dila kissed, and a round of applause came from their friends. The kiss lasted a few seconds, and they were smiling brightly when they broke the kiss. Holding hands, they went out of the Temple, followed by the cheering crowd. They ran through the streets of Riftem, until they were out of the city. Hoping in a carriage, they waved at their friends, who stood at the entrance to the city, still cheering and clapping.

Once the town disappeared from their sights, the looked at each other. Dila released the floral arrangement and held his other hand. They were sitting side by side,. She leaned into him. They would be staying in Whiterun, on Breezehome.

- We`ve come a long way, haven`t we, Siris? – she asked him. He smiled and rested his head on hers.

- Yes, Dila. I`m glad I`ve walked that way with you.

- And I`m glad I will be staying with you for the rest of my life.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. He chuckled.

- Dila? – he asked. She looked up to him.

- What?

- I just love you.

She chuckled and rested her head on his chest. She felt his heartbeat a very soothing and calming sound.

- I just love you too, Siris...

* * *

_**Don`t go away! We still have an epilogue to go...**_

_**P.S: Wasn`t that sweet?**_

_**Eddy**_


	27. Epilogue: The Statue

Epilogue:

Ryshaad touched the black statue. It was worn by many years of erosion and harsh climate, but the monument was just as impressive as he had been told it was.

He stood in the middle of Whiterun. Many things had changed in the city since the time

Most of it revolved around the staute made out of black stone in the centre of the marketplace.

The statue had been erected to honor the Two Great Beast Heroes, who had battled the ancient order that wanted to spread chaos through the land.

He looked up to see their faces. The biggest one was of an Argonian. He held a sword in his right hand. The sword was a curved blade, a blade many adventurers had seeked after learning of the story. None had found it. The other face was of a Khajiit like him. Instead of a sword, she held a bow triumphantly over her head with her left hand. The bodies of the staute were seemingly sculptured to detail, and it showed: the Argonian`s cloak seemed like it would be blown by the wind any moment, and the armor in the Khajiit`s body seemed so real it would block out an arrow.

He looked toward their empty hands and smiled. The two hands were entangled. The Heroes were said to have been inseparable, and they had spent the years after their adventure venturing through Skyrim and, later, in their twilight years, they had retired to the small house called Breezehome, which he had just passed when he had entered the city.

The two faces on the statue were smiling.

Suddenly, something jumped on his back. He stumbled forward, almost hitting his head on the statue. Regaining his balance, he heard joyous laughter coming from a voice he knew very well.

- Dammit, Shiren. – he hissed at the Argonian on his back. – Don`t do that again!

- Oh, did I hurt your feelings? – she answered, her tail swinging behind her. She had mounted on him.

- No, you…

- Oh, come on! – she said, pinching his ear. Gods, he hated when she did that. – You know I do this because you are my friend, don`t you?

- I know.

- Now, let`s go! – she said, digging her heels on his flank. He grumbled something. She pointed forward. – Let`s get out of here. Adventure awaits!

Ryshaad moved forward slowly, with her still in his back. It was still dawn. He really wasn`t looking for a long day carrying her. However, she felt very happy, so he just smiled and kept onward.

As they passed through breezehome, however, they failed to notice the two ghosts seating on top of Breezehome. One of them, the biggest one, turned to it`s companion and said:

- Well, Dila, look at them. Just like us.

- Maybe. I wasn`t that tongue-in-cheek, was I?

- Nah. Just a little. I wasn`t that stuck up either, was I?

- Nope, Siris.

- I just hope they sort that out. They have a long time ahead of them.

- It`s been fifty years, hasn`t it, Siris?

- Yeah. – Siris said, turning to her. – Fifty well spent afterlife years.

- Never said we squandered them. – Dila said, leaning in to kiss him.

They kissed and their spirits departed back to the afterlife, to join their friends in the Mead Hall, as the sun cast a dim light on the two young young adventurerers on the prairie. They were both smiling.

They would make sure to live up to the legend of Dila "Lynx Eye" and Siris "Ebony Snake" …

… the cat and the lizard.

* * *

_**The End**_

* * *

**Well, folks, this is it. Our story has come to an end.**

**It has been an incredible four months writing this story, and I really feel proud for calling it mine.**

**I would like to thnak all of you who left a review for me, because, without you, this story wouldn`t have come to this point.**

**But I would like to thank two people the most:**

**Baeowulf, who has been a constant reviewer and helper, and who has helped me out of a lot of bad situations in this story. Also, I forgot to mention this on the last chapter, but the idea of Siris facing of against a Daedric Lord was his in the beggining.**

**and Noodle12, who was my most loyal fan from the start of this story up to this point.**

** I would like to dedicate this story for them both.**

**Thanks again.**

**Keep strong,**

**Eddy, signing off**


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